Nine years ago during the winter we find a small bank being robbed in
rural Ludendorff, North Yankton. Three robbers - Michael, Trevor, and
Brad - are busy taking the bank's assets. What should have been an easy
hit turns into chaos as police forces attempt to stop them from leaving
the area with the goods. A fourth robber driving the getaway vehicle is
killed during the escape and the others find themselves in dire straits
down the road after crashing at a farm. Although they lost the heat a
sniper injures Brad and Michael while Trevor finds cover to take on the
next wave of police. Trevor eventually flees into the snowy field
leaving behind Michael and Brad. Sometime later at a graveyard a funeral
is being held for Michael - although Michael is shown outside the fence
looking on, and the sniper is among the mourners.
Fast forward to present day Los Santos. Michael frequents a psychiatrist
office to discuss his crumbling family. He is now in witness protection
under the FIB who moved him and his family to LS under a sweet deal in
exchange for his help in North Yankton. Outside the office he chats
briefly with two young gangbangers named Franklin and Lamar who are
looking for a house. These two repossess vehicles for a car dealer named
Simeon Yetarian who uses shady business practices to ensure customers
cannot keep up with payments. Although Franklin and Lamar are close to
Simeon, their dreams of leaving the ghetto and street gang life drive
them to begin stealing from him. During a routine repossession Franklin
finds himself taking a car from Michael who has stowed away in the rear
seat. Michael takes a liking to Franklin's do-what-I'm-told attitude and
offers to have a drink in the future after Michael wrecks Simeon's
business.
Now unemployed, Franklin takes up Michael on his offer of a drink. After
saving Michael's son from trouble, Michael takes Franklin under his
wing. One day Michael catches his wife's tennis coach with little
clothing on and chases him to a Vinewood Hills home. With help from
Franklin, Michael destroys half of the house and heads home only to find
out the coach was actually hiding at the home of another client whose
husband is a powerful gang leader named Martin Madrazo. He confronts
Michael and makes sure the damage will be paid for. Michael contacts an
old friend named Lester who sets up a heist at a jewelry store. Michael,
Franklin, and others successfully make off with the jewels and lay low
for a while.
Heading out to the deserts of Blaine County, Trevor is also still alive
and a leading meth dealer at war against the Lost MC who inhabit
neighboring areas. Trevor figures out that Michael was behind the
jewelry heist and decides to travel to Los Santos to find his old pal
who he thought was dead. Trevor has also been sending letters to Brad in
prison. Before leaving for the city Trevor attempts to make friends
with Chinese mobsters and eradicates the remaining Lost MC members as
well as rival meth dealers named the O'Neils. Trevor leaves behind his
right-hand man named Ron to oversee the business and takes with him a
fearful follower named Wade who has a cousin Floyd in Los Santos. Trevor
takes over the Floyd's apartment as his base of operations in the city.
Trevor reunites with a surprised Michael and the two attempt to catch up
in-between the chaos of Michael's life. Family issues aside, Michael's
exploits do not sit well with the FIB agents who gave Michael his deal
and they force him to help cover their tracks as well as help the FIB
against their rival government agency the IAA. Michael, Franklin, and
eventually Trevor are brought in to help while keeping Michael's deal a
secret. With his return to crime, Michael's family moves out for a
while. Franklin continues to find more upscale criminal activities by
doing extra work for Lester who needs high profile targets taken out.
Funds acquired lead Franklin to residing in a Vinewood Hills mansion
bought by Lester. A step closer to the high life but Franklin still
finds himself involved with street gang hustling lead by Lamar.
Meanwhile Trevor expands his business by stealing an experimental weapon
from the government security contractor company Merryweather. All is
well until Lester forces Trevor to return it before they all end up at
the top of the kill list.
While acquiring persons of interest and funds for the FIB, the
protagonists are introduced to the wealthy and powerful Devon Weston. He
makes a deal that gets Michael - who loves movies - into the Richards
Majestic Studio with producer Solomon Richards in exchange for Weston
getting his hands on some rare cars with the help of Michael, Franklin,
and Trevor. The studio isn't short of its own problems that Michael
needs to help Solomon resolve. Madrazo also contacts Michael since he
needs help taking down a cousin that will testify in court against him
with some files as evidence. Michael and Trevor succeed but upon
returning the incriminating files to Madrazo, Trevor kidnaps Madrazo's
wife and forms a relationship with her. Both Michael and Trevor flee to
Blaine County to hide from Madrazo. Back at home, Trevor continues his
business including stealing from Merryweather.
While they hide out in the desert, the FIB once again needs some extra
funds for a raid on a lab used by the IAA and enlists Michael and Trevor
to get the money. They turn to Lester who sets up a small bank robbery
in the countryside. Franklin joins his friends and they pull off the
heist which is in no way as easy as they had thought. While stealing
more items from Merryweather, Trevor and Michael find something of value
that should set things straight with Madrazo - provided Trevor breaks
his relationship with the wife and willingly returns her. Michael also
promises Trevor that they will do a huge heist at the Union Depository
in Los Santos. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin help the FIB raid the
laboratory and afterwards Trevor returns Madrazo's wife. Michael and
Trevor safely return to Los Santos.
While Michael goes back to his empty home, Trevor moves his Los Santos
base of operations into a strip club. Lester and the protagonists begin
planning the Union Depository heist but before they can move forward
Trevor figures out a disturbing truth that he needs to confirm. Trevor
travels back to North Yankton and digs up Michael's grave to find Brad's
body below. Michael tries to explain without actually admitting the
deal he made before the bank robbery 9 years ago. The standoff in the
graveyard is interrupted by Chinese gangsters who manage to capture
Michael but Trevor escapes. They hold Michael hostage thinking he is
Trevor's lover but Trevor would rather they kill Michael. With Michael
incapacitated, Trevor, Franklin, and Lamar finish delivering Weston's
rare cars but instead of prompt payment they are told the money is being
invested for them instead and given out overtime. This doesn't sit well
with Franklin who speaks with Lester to try and locate Michael who
knows Weston better. Lester helps Franklin track Michael's phone to a
warehouse in Los Santos. Franklin kills off the Chinese gangsters to
free Michael.
The heat is getting hotter for the FIB agents and they need help one
last time. Michael, Franklin, and others raid the FIB building to steal
information from their computers. The raid is a success but Michael
still needs to discuss Trevor's adventures with Merryweather to the
agents at a later time. First Michael needs to get his family back and
then finish the movie he has helped create with Solomon Richards.
Unfortunately Weston plans to cancel production and rake in insurance
money for the investors including himself. The studio will also be
turned into a condo development. Michael's passion for his movie leads
him on a chase to get the film reel which ends with the death of
Weston's assistant. This angers Weston. The movie is saved and Michael
turns his attention back to the FIB. During a meeting at an arts center
the rest of the FIB as well as the IAA and Merryweather all intervene. A
huge shootout ensues but Michael and his agents survive thanks in part
to Trevor who joins the fight. Trevor and Michael make up and agree to
the big heist.
While things shape up on that front, Franklin is informed that Lamar has
been captured by a rival street gang in the countryside. Franklin,
Michael, and Trevor help free Lamar and return him to Los Santos. While
leaving Lamar's house the FIB agents confront Franklin and tell him that
he needs to take out Trevor. They'll tell him when. Michael goes to the
premiere of his movie but Weston has Merryweather raid his house and
capture his family. Michael retakes his house with force and moves his
family away for the time being. With friends and family safe the
protagonists move ahead with the big heist at the Union Depository. The
LSPD and Merryweather put up a good fight but the heist is a success.
All seems well until Weston shows up at Franklin's house. He wants
Franklin to kill Michael but Franklin says the FIB wants him to kill
Trevor. Franklin is faced with a choice: kill Michael, kill Trevor, or
put his own life on the line to try and save them all.