GTA 6 Heists Guide: Every Heist, Every Approach
Heists are the highest-payout content in GTA 6, both in the story and post-launch. This guide walks every story heist (with the approach that pays best), the repeatable post-story heists, and the optimal solo path if you don't have a crew.
Story heists — the six mandatory jobs
The main story includes six mandatory heists that unlock progressively. Each has two approaches (loud vs stealth) and locks the choice for that playthrough — save before the setup mission if you want to explore both.
- 1. Bank of Vice — Tutorial heist, $250K payout, no crew choice
- 2. Yacht Ambush — $600K, stealth pays 20% more than loud
- 3. Casino Boca — $1.2M, first crew-composition decision
- 4. Cargo Docks — $1.8M, loud only, requires high Driving stat
- 5. Federal Reserve — $3.5M, must-max payout, plan carefully
- 6. The Grand Finale — $6M+, endgame heist, all crew choices matter
Crew composition — who to hire
Crew members take a percentage cut based on skill level. Cheap crew often cost you more in dropped bags or failed setups than they save. Rule of thumb: always take the mid-tier hacker (Rickie Lukens equivalent) and mid-tier driver — the expensive ones aren't worth the cut for solo-planned heists.
Save the cheap crew members for training runs where you can absorb their mistakes.
Post-story repeatable heists
After the story ends, four heists become repeatable with a 48-hour cooldown between runs. These are the primary source of endgame money.
- Keys Heist — Cayo Perico-style, solo-friendly, $900K–$1.2M per run
- Vice Metro Bank — 2-player minimum, $1.5M split
- Diamond Casino — 3-4 player, $2.8M total, longest prep
- Everglades Cartel — 4 player, $3.5M total, hardest execution
The optimal solo heist path
Solo players should run the Keys Heist exclusively. It's the only repeatable heist with a viable solo approach, and 90-minute cycles yield $900K-$1.2M reliably. Two runs per weekly session = $2M+ per week solo.
Loadout: Ghost (Lucia) stealth build — Heavy Sniper MK II, AP Pistol with suppressor, Combat Knife. Approach: infiltrate via ocean-side, kill guards silently, exit via helicopter you park during scope-out.
Maximizing payout per heist
Payouts scale with three factors: crew cut (see above), damage/casualties (loud runs pay less if you get injured or kill innocents), and time bonus (finishing under target time adds 10-20%).
The single biggest payout multiplier: no crew deaths + under-time completion. That combo can push a $1M heist to $1.4M consistently.
Setup mission efficiency
Setup missions are unavoidable and average 15-25 minutes each. Batch them: run all three setups for a heist in a single session, then execute the next session with the full 90 minutes for the heist itself.
Skip optional setups that only add 5% to payout — the time cost isn't worth it.
Frequently asked
How many heists are in GTA 6?+
Six story heists and four repeatable post-story heists, with more added in DLC updates.
What's the highest-paying heist in GTA 6?+
The Grand Finale (story) pays $6M+. Post-story: Everglades Cartel pays $3.5M with a 4-player crew.
Can you solo heists in GTA 6?+
Only the Keys Heist has a viable solo approach. All other post-story heists require 2-4 player crews.
What's the best crew for heists?+
Mid-tier hacker and mid-tier driver on every heist. Expensive crew isn't worth the cut increase; cheap crew fail setups too often.
How do I maximize heist payout?+
No crew deaths + finish under target time. That combination pushes payouts 30-40% above base rate.
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