Yes, You Can Rob Banks in GTA V Free Roam
As an avid GTA fan ever since the early days of GTA 3 and Vice City, I need to clarify one question that still gets asked a lot by newcomers to the series – can you rob banks freely in GTA V‘s open world?
The short answer is no. Unlike convenience stores and gas stations, banks cannot be casually held up in free roam outside missions.
However, banks can be exciting targets once you unlock certain story mode heists or meet the requirements in GTA Online‘s multiplayer component.
Having played all 800+ hours of GTA V since launch, allow me to provide the full low-down on bank jobs from an experienced player‘s perspective!
GTA V Story Mode Features Handful of Major Bank Heists
In the epic single player campaign centered around Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, there are just 2 main story missions focused on big bank scores:
- The Paleto Score – robbing a bank in a small town
- The Big Score – hitting the Union Depository vault for the ultimate payday
These 2 missions are the crown jewels in your gang‘s string of daring jobs masterminded by Lester Crest.
Building up slowly from convenience store stick-ups to an all-out assault on America‘s largest bank, the story mode bank robberies are cinematic, adrenaline-fueled events.
In fact, The Big Score finale has several variants and outcomes, lending strong replay value through different approaches:
| Silent & Sneaky | Covert operation with custom uniforms and poison gas |
| The Loud Approach | Aggressive ambush with brute force and armor piercing rounds |
Based on crew skills like hacking or driving, you can earn up to $201 million per character pulling off the "obvious" strategy!
Now, once these major heist story missions are complete, you can replay them as much as desired to keep hitting up banks for maximum payout.
However, outside specific missions activated via phone calls from Lester, banks remain peaceful bastions of the civilian world, unable to be held up.
GTA Online Opens More Opportunities for Bank Jobs
Transitioning into running bank scores against other players, GTA Online expands the number of banks from 2 to over half a dozen prime targets:
- Fleeca Banks (7 locations around San Andreas)
- Pacific Standard Bank
The online component adds more complexity through preparation missions to gather intel, steal keycards, and procure necessary equipment.
You also contend with other player-controlled police and rival crews trying to take you down during the actual finales.
Success means walking away with serious cash up to $1.25 million to further build your criminal empire!
Experienced crews pinpoint the Fleeca branches in Legion Square or Hawick Ave as great targets to tackle earlier on. Pacific Standard ramps up the difficulty for seasoned players.
Based on player data, the most popular approach utilizes motorbikes as getaway vehicles to evade NOOSE teams for a clean exist.
Master the element of teamwork and coordination, and you‘ll be hitting banks from Paleto Bay to Vespucci Canals in style!
*GTA Online‘s Fleeca Job culminates in raiding a bank vault and escaping on motorbikes (Rockstar Games)*
So in summary, while free roam banks are off limits, there are great scripted options to live out your ultimate Bank Robbery fantasy.
Follow Lester‘s guidance, assemble a crack squad, handle the preparatory groundwork, and the next few million dollars are as good as yours!
As a closing note, I‘m excited to revisit these iconic heists in the upcoming next-gen edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Can‘t wait to see the action heightened in native 4K at 60fps!
Let me know if you have any other questions about plotting the perfect bank score in GTA V!
