Compare the 15 multiplayer modes in Grand Theft Auto IV, from open exploration to races and team objectives. Player counts and rules refer to the original multiplayer release.
Mode group
Mode
Compare each mode’s player limit, objective and win condition.
Free Mode
Explore Liberty City together without a scored objective.
- Category
- Free roam
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Roam, drive or fight with host-controlled world settings; this mode does not award multiplayer cash or rank progress.
Party Mode
Gather invited friends at the Alderney Casino.
- Category
- Free roam
- Players
- 2–8
- Mode rules
- A private meeting space with vehicles, weapons, armor and no police; move into another match from the party.
Deathmatch
Earn the most cash in a free-for-all fight.
- Category
- Competitive
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Eliminate opponents and collect their dropped cash; the player with the most money when the round ends wins.
Mafiya Work
Compete for Kenny Petrovic's timed assignments.
- Category
- Competitive
- Players
- 2–8
- Mode rules
- Receive jobs by phone, including target hits and vehicle deliveries; earn more from completed tasks than your rivals.
Car Jack City
Steal and deliver Petrovic's requested vehicles.
- Category
- Competitive
- Players
- 4–16
- Mode rules
- Find marked cars and bring them to delivery points; vehicle condition affects the money earned except for drug-carrying cars.
Race
Beat other drivers through the course checkpoints.
- Category
- Racing
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Choose a vehicle class and track; Free Race follows a route, while Cannonball Run lets drivers choose their path between checkpoints.
GTA Race
Race with weapons and on-foot combat enabled.
- Category
- Racing
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Collect weapons along the course, attack rivals or leave the vehicle; finish the route ahead of the other racers.
Team Deathmatch
Win by earning more cash than the other teams.
- Category
- Team competitive
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Teammates score from kills and looting; the team with the highest combined cash at the end wins.
Team Mafiya Work
Complete Petrovic's jobs ahead of rival crews.
- Category
- Team competitive
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Teams compete over timed phone assignments such as vehicle thefts and target eliminations; compare team earnings at the end.
Team Car Jack City
Deliver requested vehicles for your crew.
- Category
- Team competitive
- Players
- 2–16
- Mode rules
- Recover marked cars and bring them to a drop-off point; vehicle condition affects team earnings unless the car holds drugs.
Cops 'n' Crooks
Escort the Crooks' boss or stop the escape.
- Category
- Team competitive
- Players
- 4–16
- Mode rules
- Cops try to kill the boss while Crooks reach the getaway vehicle; the One for All variant removes the single boss and respawns.
Turf War
Capture zones to build your team's cash lead.
- Category
- Team competitive
- Players
- 4–16
- Mode rules
- Stand in a zone to take control, defend it from enemies and hold more territory to raise your team's cash meter.
Deal Breaker
Break up a drug deal in Acter Industrial Park.
- Category
- Co-op
- Players
- 2–4
- Mode rules
- Eliminate the dealers, collect the drugs and regroup; watch for enemies escaping by motorcycle or boat.
Hangman's NOOSE
Get Kenny Petrovic out of Francis International Airport.
- Category
- Co-op
- Players
- 2–4
- Mode rules
- Fight through NOOSE units and escort Petrovic to the extraction point before the team runs out of respawns.
Bomb Da Base II
Destroy the Platypus cargo ship.
- Category
- Co-op
- Players
- 2–4
- Mode rules
- Board the vessel, plant explosives and survive the Albanian Mafia resistance while leaving the ship.
How to use this mode list
Choose a mode by objective and player count. The rules below describe what the players actually do; host settings can change the match length or conditions.
Platform and progression
Original console versions support multiplayer; the PC Complete Edition removed online play and leaderboards. Ranked Matches award money toward character rank, while Player Matches and Free Mode do not. Ranks unlock clothing, not modes.
Source
Mode roster, player limits and objectives were cross-checked against the game-specific multiplayer guide.
FAQ
Are there mode-specific rank unlocks or guaranteed cash payouts?
No such fixed unlock or payout applies across this list. Where the original game has rank progression, it depends on ranked match earnings, not the invented per-mode values previously shown.
Which version has this multiplayer?
Original console versions support multiplayer; the PC Complete Edition removed online play and leaderboards. Ranked Matches award money toward character rank, while Player Matches and Free Mode do not. Ranks unlock clothing, not modes.