The world of Grand Theft Auto V is a massive, sprawling one that has so many secrets hidden away that it’s totally possible to spend years just trying to find them all. Obsessions like that are common in games these days, as most AAA releases are peppered with new content on a monthly basis. That’s not quite the case with GTA V, which has seen massive support for its online mode, Grand Theft Auto Online, but comparatively little in the way of new single-player content. That hasn’t kept a small but passionate group of fans from doing exactly what Rockstar enthusiasts do once a game’s central campaign has been completed: squeezing out every last drop of story, secrets and conspiracies the game has to offer–and a few it doesn’t.
There’s a long, storied history of conspiracy theorists and myth hunters attached to Rockstar games. Perhaps the most visible was the Bigfoot hunt from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but GTA V is bigger than San Andreas, and it’s got another thing going for it, too. GTA V is also the first Grand Theft Auto games to be released in an era of ubiquitous internet access. That means that not only have theories been proposed to a massive community of internet denizens, but that those theories can be vetted and tested by players all over the world. This freedom of information has resulted in myths both big and small cropping up, from cryptids to overarching conspiracies. Here’s a few of the best (and weirdest):
20 Ratman Now And Forever
Rumor has it that something is stalking the sewers of Los Santos–a wretched creature that's part human, part rat. That's the idea behind the Ratman legend in GTA V, at least. In truth, the Ratman myth goes all the way back to Grand Theft Auto III, though the best sighting of this subterranean mutant comes from Grand Theft Auto IV, as explained in this video. Like all great spur-of-the-moment monster sightings, the Ratman photograph is appropriately blurry, and yields little in the way of hard evidence. What might be a half-human, half-rat abomination is more likely a regular character model made to look unsettling in an off-kilter photograph. More realistically, it's possible that a character model simply did not load correctly and came off looking more monstrous than usual. Or, you know… Ratman lives!
19 Mount Chiliad And The Illuminati
Few video game conspiracies go deep enough that they warrant more than a single thread on services like Reddit or Discord. Fewer still get an entire subreddit devoted to unraveling a series of increasingly complex mysteries that all seem to be connected to one in-game location's mural. That's the Mount Chiliad mystery for you, though. This is a good conspiracy theory to talk about early, because very nearly every other myth and legend in the game has some connection to this single, lone mountain. The theory simply purports that Mount Chiliad, the northern-most mountain in GTA V, is a focal point for supernatural activity, a claim supported by the numerous occult-related images smattered about the mountain. Those images include links to the Illuminati's All-Seeing Eye, as well as hints about where to find various supernatural phenomena on the map.
18 The Abandoned Mine Shaft In Great Chaparral
Head off into the Great Chaparra mountains for an afternoon sojourn and you may happen upon a boarded-up mineshaft. Depending on which version of the game you own, you may be able to get inside–any explosive will clear the way (entering the mineshaft is only supported on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions of the game, while Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will find a brick wall blocking their path). A thorough exploration of the mine (as seen in this video) leaves much to be desired. While players have reported hearing voices and footsteps in the mine, typically all that can be heard are the sounds of bats and the creak of the shaft's weathered supports. That hasn't kept GTA V's mystery-seeking community from rampant speculation, though, as some still believe the mineshaft is haunted.
17 The Tongva Triangle As A Paranormal Hotspot
Head out to Tongva Valley and you might be in for a bumpy ride, at least that's what some GTA V players think. One of the newer conspiracy theories to crop up around the game, the Tongva Triangle, which spreads across much of the Tongva Valley and cuts straight across the mysterious Fort Zancudo, is ground zero for some of the more… ambiguous anomalies in the game–the kinds of myths that turn even the most ardent believers into skeptics. Strange happenings in the Tongva Triangle include swamp monster sightings, oddly irate drivers, number stations broadcasting at odd hours and Slenderman himself, among others. While it's not unreasonable to assume that GTA V might include a downed UFO in the Tongva Triangle (it does), the presence of Slenderman, a semi-open sourced internet villain, in a Rockstar game is a little harder to swallow.
16 Merle Abrahams, The Infinity Killer
As it turns out, Los Santos has its own serial killer, Merle Abrahams, and amateur sleuths have parsed his clues to find the spot where he stashed his victims' bodies. The mystery starts at the killer's house in Sandy Shores, Blaine County. Inside the burnt down house is a message that reads "there will be 8," a reference to the number of people Merle supposedly killed. Other clues are scattered across the map–a morose poem scrawled on a rock, a creepy etching in a prison cell, a newspaper clipping in an abandoned shack–all leading to the location of the bodies just off the coast of Paleto Bay. Hats off to Rockstar for including an actual conspiracy in GTA V that that players can work to unravel.
15 The Ghost Of Michael De Santa
One of the most elaborate GTA V conspiracy theories states that Michael De Santa, one of the game's three playable characters, was actually dead the whole time. Stay with me here. The theory was first put forth by Reddit user Jetpack_Jones and it all begins with a quote from the first Tract of Epsilon, the in-game cult, so you know it's gonna be good. Heavily summarized, the theory posits that a series of inconsistencies in the game hints that game does not take place in 2013… or any concrete time at all. Incorrect concert dates, references to the most recent recession and some license plates have led mystery hunters to believe that the game actually takes place in roughly 2008, but that the whole game is actually a dream of Michael's. The purpose of the dream? Perhaps to accept that he's been dead the whole time.
14 Goatman Lurks In The Darkest Forests
Goatman is actually a smaller piece in a much larger conspiracy theory that borrows from actual mythology to explain the many supernatural deities supposedly roaming Los Santos. The theory, from Reddit user alejcho, starts with a diagram that looks eerily familiar to an in-game poster that is the focal point in the overarching Mount Chiliad Mystery. The diagram actually has links to Cahuilla Native American mythology, which has its own godly pantheon of sorts. According to the conspiracy hunters, that pantheon lines up neatly with certain creatures and NPCs found in GTA V, not least of which being Goatman, a half-man, half-goat hybrid long rumored to secretly plague the Grand Theft Auto universe, who has been equated to Taqwus, a trickster god who comes out at night and causes mischief. The theory even posits that Ursula, the handicapped lighthouse operator, was victim to a god's obsession.
13 Fort Zancudo And The Jetpack Liberation
Jetpacks are pretty significant in the GTA V conspiracy theory community. The mythical propulsion device is seen as symbol of freedom and liberation from the tyranny of an expansive, interconnected enigma that refuses to be solved. Jetpack hunters aren't just running on fumes, though. There's genuine reasons to think that the jetpack exists in the game, or that it was at least going to be added at some point. Code referencing a jetpack has been found, after all. For the longest time, this revelation had mystery hunters scouring Los Santos for clues about the device's whereabouts. One of the most pervasive theories focused on Fort Zancudo, the heavily guarded military base on the Northwest coast of the map. The fort bears a resemblance to Area 69 from San Andreas, which actually did hold a jetpack. Searches of Zancudo have yielded nothing… yet.
12 Get Lost In The Underwater Hatch's Secret Code
The underwater hatch in GTA V has seemingly given up all its mysteries. First, players discovered the hatch, which rests just off the east coast of the state of San Andreas. Then, they figured out that there is actually a strange tapping coming from inside the hatch. The tapping was quickly deemed a tap code and subsequently deciphered. The result? A message that reads "Hey, you never call, how'd you fancy going bowling?" That’s a reference Roman Bellic, the cousin of GTA IV protagonist Nico Bellic. In GTA IV, Roman was notorious for calling the player up on their cellphone and demanding the two spend time together. All of this has been documented in a video exploring the hatch, but it fails to answer one question: What’s in the hatch? Is it a reference to the show Lost, or does it play a greater part in a larger mystery?
11 They’re All Out To Get You
This conspiracy theory got so out of control that it even made the front page of various video game news sites. Basically, the theory asks one single, terrifying question: What if everyone was out to get you? This particular legend has to do with GTA Online, which is divorced from the Mount Chiliad Mystery and most other phenomena in the game. Basically, after an update that added bikers, GTA Online players started to notice that they were being aggressively targeted by NPC drivers. That aggression started to ramp up over time, with cars straight-up plowing into player vehicles for seemingly no reason. That’s a big deal. Vehicular accidents in online mode can rack up an impressive bill. Maybe Rockstar is trying to squeeze more money out of an already inflated economy and these NPCs are trying to take out those who got too close to the truth.
10 What Awaits In The Abyssal Darkness
Maybe Rockstar stepped in it with this one. If there’s one thing that sets a conspiracy hunter’s There’s Gotta Be Something In There detector to 100%, it's a tantalizingly impenetrable space. The Abyss, the name given to the deepest part of the ocean by the community, is one such space. Impressively, the ocean surrounding the state of San Andreas respects the laws of physics. The player will be crushed and killed if they descend too far, even with the aid of a submarine. Naturally, that means something is hidden beyond that point. At least, that’s the theory. Searches using exploration mods and other tools have yielded little in the way of concrete evidence of deep water anomalies or the legendary Kraken monster, but when has that ever discouraged the ardent adventurer?
9 The Ghost of San Andreas' CJ
Have you ever seen a ghost? If you’ve played GTA V, chances are you have. This theory is a little looser than the others, and actually spans two separate games. The story starts back in GTA IV with some wall graffiti that references the main cast of characters from San Andreas. That includes the likes of Tommy, Claude, Victor, Toni and Carl Johnson–CJ, the game’s protagonist. Like several of the other names, CJ’s is appended with an “R.I.P.,” implying that CJ is, of course, dead. Cut to GTA V’s “Hood Safari” mission in which three men briefly bike past the player. Those men bear a striking resemblance to Big Smoke, Ryder and CJ. Both Big Smoke and Ryder were killed off by CJ in San Andreas, and the addition of an “R.I.P.” to CJ’s name in the graffiti has led some to believe those riders are apparitions.
8 The Green Glow Of Humane Labs And Research
No paranormal conspiracy theory can real get off to a running start without a weird ambient glow to accompany it, and what better place to find such a creepy phenomenon than in the ocean just behind the ironically named Humane Labs and Research. There’s nothing humane about the lab or its research, of course. The company actually produces things like nerve gas and other chemical weapons for the military, which has led some to believe that the glow is connected to some of the lab’s more illicit doings and that the result is leeching its way into the ocean. The glow shows up between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., with no real clue as to its origins. While Humane Labs and Research’s involvement is naturally assumed, it could also be a trick of the in-game light. Or something altogether more sinister…
7 Summoning Kifflom, The Chicken God
Kifflom has generated an unreasonable amount of discussion in the GTA V conspiracy theory community. Seemingly everyone wants some answers about the god at the top of the Epsilon Cult’s pantheon. The theories have been… varied. From unearthed assets to players chugging in-game chicken peyote, myth hunters have gone to great lengths to find out more about the god. The game states that Kifflom will manifest on Earth as a chicken, so naturally the main theory revolves around finding its egg. After scouring much of Los Santos, players discovered the egg clocks in Paleto Bay and have long since theorized that the clocks have some connection to the deity's return. No progress on this mystery has been made, so many are left pining for the return of the almighty chicken god.
6 Bigfoot Returns Again
Bigfoot might be the cryptid that started off the craze of hunting down supernatural phenomena in Rockstar games. For years, players were adamant the creature existed in San Andreas. The myth made headlines numerous times over the years, and rumors of a sasquatch in-game only intensified when Red Dead Redemption actually made a quest centered around hunting down the bestial species. The Bigfoot furor naturally transferred over to GTA V–the mission “The Last One” even has a reference to San Andreas Bigfoot hunters. Rather than just put Bigfoot in GTA V, though, Rockstar allows players to become the mythical creature with Golden Peyote. Bigfoot can also be spotted using thermal imaging in the “Predator” mission. There have been no confirmed Bigfoot sightings in San Andreas to this day.
5 I've Only Got All-Seeing Eyes For You
While the Grand Theft Auto series is innately satirical, few of the conspiracy theories on this list are as overtly tied to the real world as the All-Seeing Eye. References to the eye are scattered throughout the world of GTA V. The eye itself resembles a symbol typically tied to the Illuminati, a fictitious organization that real-world conspiracy theorists think actually controls the world. The All-Seeing Eye in GTA V is a little different. For starters, the eye is displayed prominently in the Mount Chiliad map that has confounded players for the better part of four years. It also shows up as a monument at the Galileo Observatory, in Franklin’s house, at Lester’s and as a tattoo on Trevor’s thumb. Maybe the symbol is just a popular one, but ardent myth hunters are convinced they’re connected and part of the larger Mount Chiliad Mystery.
4 Paint By Numbers Station
Numbers stations are a genuine, real-world phenomenon. These shortwave radio stations often broadcast at set times and are believed to be a way for foreign governments to relay information to their spies. A numbers station will typically play the same recording repeatedly–a series of numbers or random words being read aloud–with minimal deviation from broadcast to broadcast. They’re mysterious, and no one really knows where they come from. Reportedly, there’s a numbers station in GTA V. The jury is out on whether there’s any credibility to the in-game phenomenon, which is nigh impossible to replicate. Despite that, some have taken the errant transmission and run with it, crafting entire theories about in-game locations and satellites. Naturally, aliens are high on the list of possible perpetrators.
3 The Alien Egg At The Bottom of the Sea
This is a genuine debunked conspiracy, but it’s always fun to see how myths like this get picked apart. The gist of this theory was that there was an alien egg lying on the ocean floor, and that anyone daring enough to acquire the proper gear could head down into the briny depths and get a look at it. The egg itself was purported to look like the alien egg from the movie Alien, the one the crew of the Nostromo first encounter, the contents of which go on to infect a crew member and birth the terrifying Xenomorph. Turns out the GTA V alien egg was actually just a giant clam turned on its side. Further digging into the game files revealed that there is an alien egg nestled away somewhere, though there’s no confirmation it appears in-game.
2 The Case Of Too Many UFOs
UFOs are a very real phenomenon in GTA V, though perhaps not to the extent that some believe. The alien crafts can be seen hovering overhead at Mount Chiliad, Fort Zancudo at the Beam Me Up outpost and over the sunken UFO wreckage once the player has achieved 100% completion in the game. If that wasn’t enough, some players claim they’ve seen the crafts darting about the sky during regular gameplay. The same goes for GTA Online, which is largely considered a separate beast from the single-player campaign. While the Mount Chiliad Mystery community’s activity has slowed down over the years, a new UFO model was added to the game about three months ago, prompting suspicion from longtime myth hunters. Suspicion continues, as that craft has yet to officially materialize in-game.
1 The Red Truck Initiation Is A Knockout
Back in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, people really wanted to join the Epsilon Cult. One of the ways it was theorized this could be done was by tracking down a red truck with a dent in the right fender, as described in earlier versions of the cult’s website. Players scoured the in-game world for the proper red truck, ready to raise their left hands and recite the phrase: "Take me to my father-father, brother-uncle. Kifflom." Players never found the red truck in San Andreas, but the myth became reality in GTA V. In the mission “Seeking the Truth,” Michael can head out to Raton Canyon and find a red truck squirrled away in the mountains. If the player goes through the rites of initiation, two Epsilon Cult members knock Michael unconscious and the red truck never appears in the game again.