How Long Does The Doomsday Heist Take in GTA Online?
The Doomsday Heist will take the average player 8-12 hours to complete from start to finish. As the largest and most complex story-driven heist ever added to GTA Online, it includes over 50 setup, prep, and finale missions spread across 3 core acts.
A Deep Dive into Each Doomsday Act
Let‘s take a closer look at what each act entails time-wise:
Act 1 – The Data Breaches
The first act focuses on infiltrating an IAA base to steal important data. It features:
- 3 prep missions
- 3 setup missions
- 1 finale mission
Based on community estimates, Act 1 takes 2-3 hours to finish. While the prep and setups are relatively straightforward, coordinating teammate roles during the finale at Fort Zancudo can be trickier for new players.
Act 2 – The Bogdan Problem
Act 2 ramps up the difficulty with:
- 3 prep missions
- 4 setup missions
- 1 finale mission
It usually takes players 3-4 hours to complete since the preps and setups require precise coordination across multiple locations. The submarine finale is also extremely challenging – having snacks/armor is a must!
Act 3 – The Doomsday Scenario
As the climax of the heist, Act 3 is the longest and most difficult:
- 5 prep missions
- 5 setup missions
- 1 finale mission
It takes 3-5 hours on average. The prep work spans various locations like underwater government facilities and satellites in space. Meanwhile, the finale takes place across 3 areas in an intense 9-stage mission culminating in a showdown with Avon Hertz.
Based on crowd-sourced data from sites like TrueAchievements, most players spend 8-12 hours completing all 3 acts. What makes it take so long?
Why the Doomsday Heist is So Time-Consuming
While the Doomsday Heist offers the biggest payout of any heist in GTA Online (over $2 million on hard), its length and complexity is on another level compared to earlier heists.
Here are 5 key reasons it‘s more time-consuming:
- 50+ missions – with 13 prep missions, 15 setup missions, and 3 finales, it has 3x more jobs than a standard heist
- Increased difficulty – stealth, coordination, and combat are harder across the board
- Retrying failed jobs – failing a mission can set you back 15-30 minutes
- Travel times – missions span the entire map with significant drive times
- Managing a 4-player team – from communication to splitting payouts, it takes extra coordination
Based on analyzing community feedback and my own experience, these factors significantly increase the total time investment required.
Tips to Finish the Heist More Quickly
While you may need to dedicate an entire game session to completing Act 3, here are 5 pro tips to trim down the total time:
- Use armored, weaponized vehicles – Kurumas, Insurgents, Strombergs make prep/setup jobs far easier
- Assign teammate roles – driver, hacker, etc. to coordinate more efficiently
- Stealth when possible – stealth preps are much faster when done properly
- Take snacks/armor – be prepared for challenging shootouts during finales
- Communicate constantly – effective plans/callouts make all the difference
Is the Time Investment Worthwhile?
The Doomsday Heist requires a serious time commitment – but the payout is equally astonishing. Here‘s a comparison of the maximum potential take across all 3 acts:
| Heist Act | Payout |
|---|---|
| Act 1 | $812,500 |
| Act 2 | $1,187,500 |
| Act 3 | $1,500,000 |
| Total | $3.5 million |
For dedicated players, the huge cash reward makes it very worthwhile. Completing the entire Doomsday Heist provides an epic experience full of action, stealth, hacking, and explosive set-pieces fit for a summer blockbuster.
If you‘ve got 8-12 hours to spare, assemble your squad and take on the exciting missions within Rockstar‘s thrilling (and rewarding) Doomsday Heist storyline!
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share tips about the Doomsday Heist or GTA Online as an avid fan.
