How to start a heist in GTA Online – hosting, joining, and more

Are you wondering how to start a heist in GTA Online? These difficult missions are a great way to rack up large amounts of money in Grand Theft Auto Online and your ticket to the big time. Be prepared for a challenge though.

If you want to complete heists. you should also check out how to complete the wildlife photography challenge in GTA Online. You might also want to know what the fastest cars are in GTA Online. Completing a heist isn’t easy but you will be rewarded with a ton of cash that you can blow on new cars, properties, and more.

What are GTA Heists?

Heists are a gameplay mode in GTA Online – they are multiplayer co-operative missions that encourage players to work together. A team’s level of communication and coordination can make or break each mission.

Here, you’ll find a comprehensive guide as to what kind of GTA online heists are available and how to host and join them. And whether it’s your first time playing GTA V, or your fiftieth, there’s something for everyone to play for when involved in a heist. 

Hosting and Joining Heists With Friends

The most basic requirement to host a Heist in GTA Online is that your character must be Rank 12 and own a high-end apartment. However, if you are under rank 12 or do not own a high-end apartment, you can still join a Heist so long as another player invites you in.

To join a Heist as a crew member without an invite, go to the Quick Job menu on the phone. Then, select “Play Heist” to jump into the action. If you meet the required criteria, Lester will give you a call to set up your first Heist.

Once you complete your first Setup Mission, there will be a short wait before Lester calls you for the next part of the Heist. There is also a slight delay between the time you finish your first Heist and Lester’s call for the second Heist.

To replay a Heist, call Lester using your in-game phone and select the “Request a Heist” option. You’ll be able to play any of the Heists previously completed. However, you may not be able to instantly replay a Heist with a cool-down period in place after the completion of each Heist.

How to Invite Friends to a Heist

To invite a friend to your current session, click “Options” and navigate to your friends list. Next, locate the friend you want to invite, clicking on their name and “Send Game Invite”. 

Easy as that, your friend will have just been invited to your current session. 

To start a private heist with your friends, you will have to do so from the story mode. This time, choose “Options” again and navigate to “Online > Play GTA Online'” Selecting this offers several options, including starting a Closed Friend Session which allows you to head into GTA online with your friends only.  

How to Start a Heist in GTA 5 Online

Players ranked 12 or above who own a high-end apartment will receive a phone call from Lester.

Accepting a call from Lester and beginning the Heist makes the player the Heist leader, who can then choose to invite other online players from the lobby, their friend’s list, or players from the previous Heist. No matter what rank level, all players who have completed the GTA Online tutorial up to and including Gerald’s first LTS job – can play Heists.

The heist leader has the responsibility of fronting the setup costs to buy whatever equipment and additional NPC personnel are needed for the job. Still, there is an upside with the heist leader taking the most significant cut (roughly 40%) upon completion and assigning roles to other players. 

Looking for the cheapest high-end apartment to buy? Head over to Del Perro Heights, Apartment 7, which is up for sale for $200,000. 

Setup Missions

Players will earn money for completing each setup mission. However, Heist leaders do not earn money for completing a prep mission, instead receiving 10 percent more RP than other members. It’s also possible for Leaders to assign themselves a bigger percentage of the take once the entire Heist is complete.

The successful completion of a setup mission places players back into Freemode. It’s then down to the Heist leader to use their phone to return to the Heist planning room and start a new heist.

Adversary Modes

All Heists are available for replay after completing each full strand as Heist leader. Players can do this by calling Lester and requesting a Heist. As mentioned earlier there is a short delay before you can replay the same Heist again as Leader. Heists are available for players to join as crew members without delay as long as there is a Leader with an active lobby to join. The Heist replay board only becomes available at your high-end apartment once you have completed all five Heist finales as a Leader or crew member. You must also have reached rank 12 and visited Lester to access it.

Note that there is also a cool-down period between the completion of each Heist and when the next one becomes available. New Adversary modes will progressively unlock as you complete each Heist.

Some of Our Favourite Heists in Grand Theft Auto V Online 

Now that you have more of an idea of what these heists are all about let’s take a closer look at some of the Grand Theft Auto 5 Online Heists you can access.

The Fleeca Job

Property requirement: None

If you are new to the world of GTA Online heists, this is a great place to start. Just two players are required for The Fleeca Job, and it costs just $11,500 to set up. The aim is to steal bonds from a relatively small bank’s safe deposit box. While one player gets the job of the getaway driver and controlling hostages, the other’s role involves drilling into the safe to secure the bonds as fast as possible.

The Prison Break

Property requirement: None

To take part in this Heist, you need a crew of 4 and a setup fee of $40,000. It involves breaking a former military researcher out of jail and getting him to safety. Players need to obtain various vehicles and take out multiple targets. To initiate this Heist, players first need to be introduced to the mysterious Agent 14. This is done by speaking with Lester.

The Cayo Perico Heist

Property requirement: Kosatka Submarine

This Heist was added to the Grand Theft Auto Online game back in 2020 and is one of the largest updates so far. The great thing about this Heist is that it can be activated in both multiplayer or single-player mode, and there are not just one but six primary targets to choose from. Potential earnings range from $900,000 to over $2 million if you manage to steal the rare Panther Statue which only makes an appearance during special events.

Series A Funding Heist

Property requirement: None

You’ll need four players for this Heist, and it is a little different from GTA’s other heists. Instead of a target being stolen at the end, drugs are acquired at the setup stage. It’s also a little more costly than the average $25,000 setup cost. With the Series A Funding Heist it’s $40,400. In this Heist, there are five setup stages, each requiring a different type of illegal drug to be stolen to be sold on in the finale.

The Diamond Casino Heist

Property requirement: Retro Arcade Property

In GTA V there are a collection of heists called The Diamond Casino Heists. These are by far, the biggest heists in terms of payouts. But, how much you’ll actually get depends on how much is in the target vault. 

There are 4 different Diamond Casino Heists available:

Cash: Can be played with 2-4 players, and are three different ways to complete it. The Silent & Sneaky approach is effective but does require players to be super stealthy. Payout earnings are in excess of $2 million.

Artwork: Same number of players is required as above. If stealth isn’t your thing, a better approach here is to take the Big Con approach. This is where the crew wears disguises in which to conceal their identity and gain access to the vault. Remaining undetected ensures extra time to bypass any security locks. Potential payout in excess of $2.35 million.

Gold: Again, 2-4 players are needed to carry out this Heist. In the gold Heist, the aggressive approach often works best. It involves the crew fighting their way into the vault to only get a minimal amount of time inside the vault. Payout earnings here are in excess of $2.5 million.

Diamonds: The final Heist in this collection, and the one with the biggest payout, is the Diamonds heist. Here you can bag yourself in excess of $3.2 million. The catch is that diamonds are rare and only available during certain periods.

Other heists available:

• The Humane Labs Raid
• The Pacific Standard
• The Data Breaches
• The Bogdan Problem
• The Doomsday Heist

That’s everything you need to know about running a heist. Be sure to also check out how to sell vehicles in GTA Online. You can also check out how to create a custom plate in GTA Online.

GTA Online Heists – FAQ

How many players are needed for a heist in GTA Online

Most heists require between two and four people to complete. The Cayo Perico Heist can be completed solo.

How many heists are in GTA Online?

There are 10 different heists that you can complete in GTA Online.