GTA Online Update Reveals First Look at Michael in the Grand Theft Auto Universe Since GTA 5 Launched Back in 2013 — and Settles Any Lingering Canon Ending Questions

GTA fans yet person their archetypal look astatine Grand Theft Auto 5 quality Michael successful the Grand Theft Auto beingness since the crippled launched backmost successful 2013.

We tin spot Michael successful the trailer for GTA Online DLC A Safehouse successful the Hills, below. In the teaser for the upcoming expansion, which adds a luxurious caller location for the astir palmy of online criminals to the online mode, a noticeably older, greying, Michael De Santa and his woman Amanda tin beryllium seen greeting a subordinate astatine the beforehand doorway of their fancy caller Hollywood Hills crib. This is the archetypal clip that Michael, played by Ned Luke, has been seen successful the Grand Theft Auto beingness since GTA 5 launched backmost successful 2013.

The update besides settles immoderate lingering questions astir the canon ending for GTA 5, confirming erstwhile and for each that Option C, different known arsenic “Deathwish”, is however the communicative should end.

It present means that each 3 playable protagonists, with Franklin and Trevor being the different two, person appeared successful GTA Online. Naturally, this means the “Deathwish” ending is present canon successful Online’s mentation of Los Santos, arsenic this is the lone mode that each 3 characters stay live astatine the extremity of GTA 5’s last ngo “The Third Way” — 1 of 3 imaginable past levels disposable depending connected the player’s choice. For reference, “Something Sensible” is Option A, which leaves some Franklin and Michael alive, but kills Trevor, and “The Time’s Come” is Option B, resulting successful Franklin and Trevor’s survival, but Michael’s death.

In each 3 imaginable endings, Franklin lives to locomotion the streets of Los Santos, truthful it ever felt earthy that he’d beryllium a portion of GTA Online, which takes spot aft the events of Grand Theft Auto 5. Trevor has besides been contiguous since 2013, giving the online protagonist missions and calling to berate them implicit the telephone successful his ain peculiar manner, but this is the archetypal clip we’ve seen Michael’s look since.

Eagle-eared online players would’ve heard a tiny notation to the nonrecreational slope robber backmost successful 2021, though, which, though it decidedly alludes to Michael, didn’t 100% corroborate helium was inactive around. This occurs erstwhile Franklin is chasing 2 golfers done the Richards Majestic Studios movie batch successful the centre of the city. This is 1 of the places Michael works successful bid to execute his Hollywood movie-producing dreams successful the main game’s campaign. Franklin remarks, “I cognize 1 of the producers astir here. I anticipation his ass ain’t enactment today…”, suggesting De Santa is inactive employed determination aft each this time.

It is funny that Rockstar has chosen to enactment Michael backmost into the satellite of GTA truthful galore years aft we saw him last, and it does beg the question of however agelong this was planned for, seeing arsenic this update has dropped truthful adjacent to GTA 6’s erstwhile merchandise day of November 19, 2025. Is this the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption developer saying their last goodbye to these characters earlier gearing up to unleash Lucia and Jason into the satellite successful 2026?

How bash you consciousness astir the “Deathwish” ending being chosen by Rockstar arsenic the canonical 1 for GTA 5? Let america cognize successful the comments below. And, of course, for everything GTA 6, instrumentality with IGN.

Simon Cardy is simply a Senior Editor astatine IGN who tin chiefly beryllium recovered skulking astir unfastened satellite games, indulging successful Korean cinema, oregon despairing astatine the authorities of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him connected Bluesky astatine @cardy.bsky.social.