Story Mode heists are the multi-part jobs that fund the rest of the Los Santos plan. You gather intel, pick an approach when the plan splits, run the setups, then hit the finale with a hired driver, gunman, or hacker, or with Michael, Franklin, and Trevor alone. The take is not always cash you keep.
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Story arc
Opening Scores
The Jewel Store Job is the first hired-crew score. The Merryweather Heist has no payday; Lester forces the experimental device back.
The Jewel Store Job
Two-approach Vangelico jewelry job for Michael and Franklin with a hired driver, gunman, and hacker.
- Approaches
- Loud; Smart
- Possible take
- Up to about $4.95 million gross
- Crew roles
- Driver, Gunman, Hacker
- Protagonists
- Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton
- Target
- Vangelico jewelry, Rockford Hills
- Unlock point
- After Friend Request and Casing the Jewel Store, then the chosen approach setups.
- Planner
- Lester Crest
- Setup missions
- Intel: Casing the Jewel Store. Loud: Carbine Rifles. Smart: Bugstars Equipment and BZ Gas Grenades.
The Merryweather Heist
Two-approach Merryweather device steal with all three protagonists, no hired crew, and no cash take.
- Approaches
- Freighter; Offshore
- Possible take
- No cash take
- Crew roles
- None hired
- Protagonists
- Trevor Philips, Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton
- Target
- Merryweather experimental device, Port of LS or offshore test site
- Unlock point
- After By the Book and Minisub; Cargobob only if Offshore was chosen. Can be completed before or after Blitz Play depending on other story flags and platform.
- Planner
- Trevor Philips
- Setup missions
- Intel: Scouting the Port. Both approaches: Minisub. Offshore also: Cargobob.
| Image | Name | Description | Approaches | Possible take | Crew roles | Protagonists | Target | Unlock point | Planner | Setup missions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Jewel Store Job | Two-approach Vangelico jewelry job for Michael and Franklin with a hired driver, gunman, and hacker. | Loud; Smart | Up to about $4.95 million gross | Driver, Gunman, Hacker | Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton | Vangelico jewelry, Rockford Hills | After Friend Request and Casing the Jewel Store, then the chosen approach setups. | Lester Crest | Intel: Casing the Jewel Store. Loud: Carbine Rifles. Smart: Bugstars Equipment and BZ Gas Grenades. | |
| The Merryweather Heist | Two-approach Merryweather device steal with all three protagonists, no hired crew, and no cash take. | Freighter; Offshore | No cash take | None hired | Trevor Philips, Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton | Merryweather experimental device, Port of LS or offshore test site | After By the Book and Minisub; Cargobob only if Offshore was chosen. Can be completed before or after Blitz Play depending on other story flags and platform. | Trevor Philips | Intel: Scouting the Port. Both approaches: Minisub. Offshore also: Cargobob. |
Story arc
FIB Jobs
Blitz Play is a Story Mode heist, even if some guides skip it. You hit the Securicar; the FIB keeps the bonds.
Blitz Play
Single-plan FIB armored-car hit with all three protagonists and no player cash take.
- Possible take
- No cash take
- Crew roles
- None hired
- Protagonists
- Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, Trevor Philips
- Target
- IAA Gruppe Sechs Securicar carrying bearer bonds, Cypress Flats
- Unlock point
- After the intro meeting plus the listed setups, The Hotel Assassination, Did Somebody Say Yoga?, and Hood Safari. Enhanced and PC also list The Merryweather Heist as a prerequisite; some Xbox Series reports can trigger Blitz Play first.
- Planner
- FIB (Steve Haines / Dave Norton)
- Setup missions
- Intel: Blitz Play Intro. Setups: Tow Truck, Trash Truck, Boiler Suits, Masks, and Getaway Vehicle.
The Paleto Score
Single loud Paleto Bay bank job with a hired gunman; the FIB keeps most of the take.
- Possible take
- About $8.02 million gross
- Crew roles
- Gunman
- Protagonists
- Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, Franklin Clinton
- Target
- Blaine County Savings Bank, Paleto Bay
- Unlock point
- After Paleto Score Setup, Predator, and Military Hardware.
- Planner
- Lester Crest, for the FIB
- Setup missions
- Intel: Paleto Score Setup. Setup: Military Hardware.
The Bureau Raid
Two-approach FIB Headquarters evidence raid for Michael and Franklin, with crew roles that change by approach.
- Approaches
- Fire Crew; Roof Entry
- Possible take
- About $332,000 FIB budget
- Crew roles
- Fire Crew: two Gunmen. Roof Entry: Driver, Gunman, Hacker
- Protagonists
- Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton
- Target
- Incriminating FIB files / containment drive, FIB Headquarters
- Unlock point
- After Architect's Plans, plus Fire Crew setups if that approach was chosen.
- Planner
- Lester Crest, for Steve Haines
- Setup missions
- Intel: Cleaning out the Bureau and Architect's Plans. Fire Crew: Fire Truck and Getaway Vehicle. Roof Entry: no extra setups.
| Image | Name | Description | Approaches | Possible take | Crew roles | Protagonists | Target | Unlock point | Planner | Setup missions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz Play | Single-plan FIB armored-car hit with all three protagonists and no player cash take. | - | No cash take | None hired | Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, Trevor Philips | IAA Gruppe Sechs Securicar carrying bearer bonds, Cypress Flats | After the intro meeting plus the listed setups, The Hotel Assassination, Did Somebody Say Yoga?, and Hood Safari. Enhanced and PC also list The Merryweather Heist as a prerequisite; some Xbox Series reports can trigger Blitz Play first. | FIB (Steve Haines / Dave Norton) | Intel: Blitz Play Intro. Setups: Tow Truck, Trash Truck, Boiler Suits, Masks, and Getaway Vehicle. | |
| The Paleto Score | Single loud Paleto Bay bank job with a hired gunman; the FIB keeps most of the take. | - | About $8.02 million gross | Gunman | Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, Franklin Clinton | Blaine County Savings Bank, Paleto Bay | After Paleto Score Setup, Predator, and Military Hardware. | Lester Crest, for the FIB | Intel: Paleto Score Setup. Setup: Military Hardware. | |
| The Bureau Raid | Two-approach FIB Headquarters evidence raid for Michael and Franklin, with crew roles that change by approach. | Fire Crew; Roof Entry | About $332,000 FIB budget | Fire Crew: two Gunmen. Roof Entry: Driver, Gunman, Hacker | Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton | Incriminating FIB files / containment drive, FIB Headquarters | After Architect's Plans, plus Fire Crew setups if that approach was chosen. | Lester Crest, for Steve Haines | Intel: Cleaning out the Bureau and Architect's Plans. Fire Crew: Fire Truck and Getaway Vehicle. Roof Entry: no extra setups. |
Story arc
Union Depository
The Big Score pays after the story ends. The gold is stored first, so the protagonist cuts do not land at the finale.
The Big Score
Final Story Mode heist: two approaches on Union Depository gold, paid only after the story ends.
- Approaches
- Subtle; Obvious
- Possible take
- About $201.3–$201.6 million gross
- Crew roles
- Subtle: two Drivers, two Gunmen, Hacker. Obvious: two Drivers, two Gunmen
- Protagonists
- Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, Trevor Philips
- Target
- Gold bullion, Union Depository
- Unlock point
- After Planning the Big Score and the chosen approach setups. Unlocks the final story choice.
- Planner
- Lester Crest
- Setup missions
- Intel: Surveying the Score and Planning the Big Score. Subtle: Stingers and three Gauntlet theft/mod jobs. Obvious: Driller, Sidetracked, and Getaway Vehicle.
| Image | Name | Description | Approaches | Possible take | Crew roles | Protagonists | Target | Unlock point | Planner | Setup missions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Big Score | Final Story Mode heist: two approaches on Union Depository gold, paid only after the story ends. | Subtle; Obvious | About $201.3–$201.6 million gross | Subtle: two Drivers, two Gunmen, Hacker. Obvious: two Drivers, two Gunmen | Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, Trevor Philips | Gold bullion, Union Depository | After Planning the Big Score and the chosen approach setups. Unlocks the final story choice. | Lester Crest | Intel: Surveying the Score and Planning the Big Score. Subtle: Stingers and three Gauntlet theft/mod jobs. Obvious: Driller, Sidetracked, and Getaway Vehicle. |
How Story Mode heists work
A Story Mode heist is a chain, not a single mission. Intel or planning comes first, then setup missions, then one finale. When the job splits, you choose the approach before those setups unlock.
You reach these jobs through the story, not a GTA Online heist board. Original, Enhanced, and Expanded & Enhanced share the same Story Mode heists, and there is no extra heist DLC. Platform differences can change unlock order, not which jobs appear.
The Merryweather Heist and Blitz Play can swap places depending on other story flags and platform. Enhanced and PC list Merryweather as a Blitz Play prerequisite; some Xbox Series reports can trigger Blitz Play first.
Approaches, setups, and crew
Some finales let you pick a plan: Loud or Smart at Vangelico, Freighter or Offshore for Merryweather, Fire Crew or Roof Entry at FIB Headquarters, and Subtle or Obvious for the Union Depository. Blitz Play and The Paleto Score have one scripted plan.
Hired seats are driver, gunman, and hacker. Merryweather and Blitz Play hire none of those and run on the three protagonists. Franklin can still be a playable crew member instead of an equal partner, which is why his Jewel Store cut is a hired percentage.
Compare skill, cut, unlocks, and who tends to survive in Heist Crew. Surviving hires can gain experience for later jobs without raising their cut.
What you actually keep
Possible take is a gross range, not a guaranteed deposit. A loan shark, the FIB, Lester, hired crew, bag damage, dropped gold, or a Subtle-approach bribe can all shrink the protagonist cut.
Do not treat one crew combination as the only payout the job can produce. Poor hires can drop a Big Score cut into the low tens of millions, and a cheap gunman can die in a scripted crash.
Common mistakes
- Do not mix GTA Online heists, ranks, or property unlocks into Story Mode planning.
- A heist with no approach choice is still a heist. It just has one scripted plan.
- Hiring nobody does not make the job unofficial or skippable.
- A high gross take can still leave a small protagonist cut after the FIB or a planner takes a share.
FAQ
Does this include GTA Online heists?
No. These are Story Mode jobs only. Fleeca, Prison Break, Humane Labs, Series A, Pacific Standard, Doomsday, Cayo Perico, Diamond Casino, and later Online robberies use a different unlock and payout system.
Does Michael get a cut from The Bureau Raid?
No. Michael takes $0. Franklin's cut comes from the FIB budget and lands around $149,000 to $242,000 depending on crew and casualties.
Why do the takes use ranges instead of one payout?
Crew skill, casualties, bag damage, dropped gold, and the Subtle bribe change what each protagonist pockets. There is no single profit that covers every crew combination.
How do I compare hired drivers, gunmen, and hackers?
Use Heist Crew for role, skill, cut, unlock method, and who is worth taking on later jobs. Each heist only names the seats it fills.