Grand Theft Auto V’s Canon Ending Confirmed After 12 Years, Here’s What It Means

Grand Theft Auto V‘s canon ending has been solidified 12 years after launch. Rockstar Games has created some of the most beloved video game narratives out there, but few have a choice that alters the game as dramatically as GTA 5. In GTA 4, you can make a few different choices that can impact which characters live or die, which can offer different pros and cons. For instance, you can own the apartment of one of the characters you have the option of killing in that game. However, the core experience of playing the game doesn’t radically change. Red Dead Redemption 2 also has some different variations based on your honor level, but the story unfolds mostly the same way for everyone.

In Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar took some big swings. The big defining feature of the game was the fact that there were three protagonists that you could seamlessly switch between. They all had their own special abilities, such as being able to slow down time to shoot or drive with ease. At the end of the game, Franklin is presented with a choice. He can either kill Michael, Trevor, or team up with the two of them to take down everyone they’ve crossed in the game’s story. If you choose to kill Michael or Trevor, you can no longer play as them. However, many have wondered for years what the definitive canonical ending actually is for GTA 5.

GTA Online‘s New Update Confirms Michael Is Alive and Reveals the Canon Ending

Many have assumed for years that option C, the “Deathwish” option, is the canon ending to GTA 5 because it’s the most logical outcome. Not only does it keep all the protagonists alive, but it’s also seemingly the most popular with fans. It completes every character’s arc in a clean way. Now, Rockstar has confirmed that is indeed the canonical ending as part of a new update to GTA Online.

On December 10th, GTA Online will get a new update known as A Safehouse in the Hills, which will see the return of Michael. The character was last seen in the game’s story in 2013, where he seemingly got out of crime for good or at the very least, significantly scaled back on it. After tying up all loose ends, Michael moved on to become a film producer. Players have wondered if Michael would reappear in GTA Online again, and now, he’s back. The character will work with the player on various new missions and even welcome them into the neighborhood if they buy one of the newly added mansions.

Michael also appears to still be married to Amanda. It’s unclear if she’s working in real estate now or if they’ve moved into a nicer home following Michael’s big score, given their housewarming gift to the player in the new update. Michael’s appearance in this update confirms his survival, but it is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to confirming the Deathwish ending as the canonical outcome.

Franklin has also appeared in a GTA Online update, but he survives every ending of the game. Trevor, on the other hand, is a more complicated part of the equation. When GTA Online first released, it took place about six months prior to the main events of the game’s story. Although Trevor appeared in a few updates to GTA Online, these all still took place before the main events of the game. Eventually, Rockstar decided to flash the game forward to the present day, but Trevor has yet to physically appear in any of the updates since then.

Actor Steven Ogg has a bit of an… interesting relationship with GTA 5 and its fan base, which has led some to speculate that he may never play Trevor again. However, Rockstar has created lines of dialogue in various updates that fill in some of the blanks and confirm that Trevor is still alive. In fact, according to Ron, Trevor apparently left all of his businesses behind to become a lifestyle guru. Despite his change of career, he is still a little… eccentric, as the front desk assistant at Franklin’s office makes mention of an angry man “dressed like a hobo” who claimed to have worked with Franklin. When he was told that Franklin was unavailable, he tried to defecate on the desk.

With Michael being alive in the present day and repeated references to Trevor’s new life, all signs suggest the Deathwish option is indeed the canon ending to GTA 5. As of right now, it remains unclear if any of the GTA 5 characters will cameo in GTA 6. Clearly, Rockstar is on good terms with the actors, and they’re game to reprise their roles, so maybe there’s a chance they’ve been asked to have a small appearance in the game. It would likely be fairly minor, though, since they all clearly still live in San Andreas, as evidenced by the updates.

Do you want to see any of these characters return in GTA 6? Let me know in the comments!

Iconic GTA Character Won’t Be in GTA 6