For the first time since GTA 5's launch in 2013, the GTA Online update showcases Michael's presence in the Grand Theft Auto universe and resolves any lingering classic ending issues
Blog Andrew Joseph 05 Dec , 2025 0
GTA fans finally got their first look at the character Michael in Grand Theft Auto V since the game's launch in 2013.
We can see Michael in the trailer for the GTA Online DLC Safehouse in the Mountain below. The upcoming expansion adds a luxurious new home for the online mode's most successful cybercriminal, and in the trailer, a visibly older, grizzled Michael De Santa and his wife Amanda can be seen greeting a player at the front door of their luxurious new Hollywood Hills crib. This is the first time Michael, played by Ned Luke, has appeared in the Grand Theft Auto universe since the launch of GTA 5 in 2013.
The update also resolves all outstanding questions regarding the canon ending of GTA 5, confirming the storyline of Option C (also known as “Deathwish”) once and for all should The end.
This now means that all three playable protagonists (the other two being Franklin and Trevor) have appeared in GTA Online. Of course, this means that the “Deathwish” ending is now canon in the online version of Los Santos, as it's the only way for all three characters to still be alive at the end of GTA 5's final mission, “The Third Way,” one of three possible final levels depending on the player's choices. For reference, “The Smart Move” is Option A, which results in both Franklin and Michael surviving, but killing Trevor, while “The Time Has Come” is Option B, which results in Franklin and Trevor surviving, but Michael dying.
In all three possible endings, Franklin lives on the streets of Los Santos, so it was always natural for him to be part of GTA Online, which takes place after the events of Grand Theft Auto V. Trevor has also been around since 2013, giving the online protagonists tasks and making phone calls to berate them in his own unique way, but this is the first time we've seen Michael's face.
However, keen-eared online players may have heard a small mention of a professional bank robber in 2021, and while it certainly alludes to Michael, it's not 100% confirmed that he still exists. That's what happened when Franklin chased two golfers at Richards Majestic Film Studios downtown. This is one of the places where Michael works in the main game campaign to pursue his dream of making a Hollywood movie. “I know a producer here. I wish he wasn't working today…” Franklin said, implying that DeSanta still worked there after all this time.
It's curious that Rockstar has chosen to bring Michael back into the GTA world so many years after we last saw him, which does beg the question of how long this has been planned, given that this update is so close to GTA 6's last release date of November 19, 2025. Is this the developer of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption saying a final farewell to these characters before preparing to release Lucia and Jason into the world in 2026?
What do you think about Rockstar choosing “Deathwish” as the standard ending for GTA 5? Let us know in the comments below. Of course, for all things GTA 6, stick with IGN.
Simon Cardy is a senior editor at IGN, who can be found mostly lurking around open-world games, obsessing over Korean movies, or despairing about the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky: @cardy.bsky.social.