Grand Theft Auto 5 has managed to remain a widely played game for a surprising amount of time. One of the biggest reasons for that is the sheer amount of incredible things players can do while playing online. The game offers plenty of fun by simply exploring the world with a couple of friends by your side, but some players have gone a step further.
Many prefer to spend their time with GTA 5 playing various custom game modes that can add entirely new layers of gameplay to an already fantastic title. The mayhem and chaos that can be found online translate well into the unique game modes that many find themselves playing day after day. Here are some of the very best custom game modes.
Updated June 29, 2023, by William Quick: Although Rand Theft Auto 6 will hopefully be released sooner than expected, we still have GTA 5 and GTA Online to keep us busy. Even if GTA Online has its fair share of functional problems, there's no doubt that it's been very popular in the community. In addition to all the rotating events that are applied to keep things interesting, people have been able to use the game's assets in order to keep making entirely new game modes for people to enjoy. These can be races, missions, or battles that include some sort of gimmick or unusual environment. Here are some that are worth trying out while waiting for GTA 6.
15 Qub3d
If you’ve ever played Tetris, you’ll feel right at home playing Qub3d. A staple in the GTA universe since Grand Theft Auto 4 and its story DLCs, this arcade game came to GTA Online in the Los Santos Summer Special update. The concept is quite simple: blocks come tumbling down, and as they do, you are tasked with matching similarly colored blocks before they fill the screen. Do this enough, and you’ll gain the points needed to move on to the next level.
If you stack the same colored blocks in a square, you’ll eventually be gifted special abilities that can remove blocks on the screen. If you feel like taking a break from the wild shooting and looting gameplay of Los Santos, Qub3d is a perfect escape.
14 Bomberman
Bomberman is one of the longest-running series in gaming, and for good reason — its classic gameplay has been a staple of the industry since 1983. In its original form, you drop bombs on a grid-like map, which explode in different directions and take out enemies. Eventually, space becomes limited, forcing you to be more strategic with your bomb placement to avoid touching explosions and remaining enemies.
GTA 5 expands on this gameplay loop by splitting players into two teams — one on the ground and one in the sky. As the ground team, you’ll race around the Los Santos streets, desperately trying to avoid the aerial assault from the opposing team. Your mission is simple: stay alive!
13 Uncharted Parkour
Whether you're a fan of the Uncharted series, you have to admit that the games have some pretty impressive set pieces and sequences. One of the later games has a part where Drake is clinging for dear life as things fall out the back of a cargo plane. Someone decided to recreate this action for GTA 5 players to enjoy.
Starting out in the plane, the objects will fall in such a way that they'll come together in a road that you'll have to navigate. You'll need to be fast and maneuverable to get across it while trying not to fall to your doom. It's an exciting way to test your skills as a GTA 5 runner by trying not to stumble over the edge.
12 Busted
Busted is a classic game that may bring you back to your childhoods, running around playing cops and robbers. The action-packed game is one that many players start out with when trying custom game modes for the first time.
The beauty of this mode is that it can be played with teams of people or with a single criminal. If you find yourself racing through the city with tons of cops at your back, you’ll have far more fun than you ever would have with your wanted level maxed out in the main game.
11 The Weakest Link
There are a ton of fun custom game modes in GTA 5, but one of the very best for many players is The Weakest Link. You can play free-for-all or on a team, but regardless of how you play the game, chaos is bound to ensue.
The game is pretty simple: drive through timed checkpoints. If you either don’t make it to the checkpoint in time or get sent off-course, you’ll be out of the game. Things get tougher as the game progresses, with less time to make it to the necessary checkpoints.
10 Snipers Vs. Stunters
If you’re looking for a custom game mode that is incredibly simplistic for new players, Snipers Vs. Stunters is one of the best possible choices. Whether playing as a driver or as a sniper, the game remains tense and fun the entire time.
While the game can be played in a number of ways, it usually features a team of snipers attempting to take out a series of drivers before they either reach a certain point or manage to take out the snipers with their vehicles.
9 Elevated Derby
The concept of the demolition derby is not a new one for the GTA series, especially since there are plenty of missions that have you smashing up cars anyway. Even so, there are ways to make the destructive activity even more chaotic and death-defying... such as putting the arena high above the ground.
This Elevated Derby has you driving one of several vehicles in a packed arena that wants to be part of the skyline. Sure, you can try to crash into cars to put them out of commission, but the real finisher is knocking them out of bounds. Do your best to stay in the center as you try to send vehicles flying.
8 Trucks Vs. Bikes
While many of GTA 5’s custom game modes sound simple thanks to their names, that doesn’t mean they aren’t packed to the brim with fun and action. Trucks Vs. Bikes is one such game that can make you feel either tense or powerful, depending on your team.
This mode is tons of fun regardless of which side you end up on. One team sees you fleeing on bikes while the other attempts to smoosh the various cyclists with their big rigs. While it may seem one-sided, one round of the game will change your mind.
7 RPGs Vs. Insurgents
If you’re the kind of player who likes blowing things up in GTA 5, RPGs Vs. Insurgents might be the game that you gravitate toward. It features two teams, with one in vehicles and the other armed with rocket launchers.
The goal of the game for the RPG players is to blow up the approaching insurgents. On the flip side, the other team has to try to take out the army of RPG-wielding enemies. It’s a really great game for any big fans of explosive chaos.
6 Demolition Derby
Anyone who’s ever witnessed a demolition derby in real life will know exactly how this game is played. Each player is tasked with doing everything in their power to destroy or knock out any other driver's vehicle.
The concept is incredibly simple, but that hasn’t stopped the mode from being one of the most popular among players. There are even a wide number of fun variations to try out once you’ve gotten the hang of the basic game mode. It's a reminder that even simple fun can be the best.
5 Manhunt
The beauty of the Manhunt game mode in GTA 5 is that so many players have come up with their own unique ways to play it. Some players prefer huge locations with access to vehicles, while others prefer to limit things quite a bit.
There have even been some relatively famous videos made that feature different versions of the game mode. Whether you prefer a large-scale approach or not, this game mode can be incredibly tough for everyone involved. Regardless of your skill level, you should take a turn as the hunter and the hunted.
4 Muskets
With each new GTA game, things have been expanded, such as making the maps bigger and more diverse and having a greater variety of missions. As a result, with a bigger playground comes more toys to play with along the way. There are tons of weapons, and some you just know were put in there just for fun, like the musket.
This historical relic is almost painfully accurate in how useless it is in the fast-paced world of GTA 5. Yet, someone took it upon themselves to make a death match where the only weapon you have is a musket. It's all about precise aim, timing, and trying to avoid enough shots, so you can have a chance to reload and fire back.
3 Gun Game
If you are a player that prefers to cause mayhem on foot, Gun Game (or Kill Quota) is the mode for you. It functions similarly to the first-person shooter game Gun Game. Players once again tend to set their own rules on either how many kills per gun are required or what weapons are included, but it’s always tons of fun.
The game mode also provides a nice break from what feels like a litany of vehicle-focused games. The smaller the map and the more players, the better this game mode.
2 War
There are few games more fun than just letting players run around with a huge set of weapons, attempting to destroy the other team. That is exactly what the player is tasked to do in a game of War.
It probably sounds like a relatively simple game of team deathmatch, and it more or less is, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. The beauty of this custom mode comes from the user-created rules (or lack thereof), making for plenty of ways to play to keep things interesting.
1 Sumo
This game is pretty self-explanatory. Players pile into their cars and attempt to push others out of a circle. The catch of the game stems from its multiple players and potentially skilled drivers.
If you’re a particularly good driver and haven’t tried out Sumo, you definitely should. While sometimes the simplest approach works best, there are some that can outwit players with some expert handling. Whatever you do, make sure you stay in the circle, no matter how small it gets.