GTA 5 rampages: the basics
Rockstar hides GTA 5 rampages in places that reward curiosity - rooftops, sea floors, the backs of billboards - and the reward is usually a vehicle, a mission or a trophy you cannot get any other way.
Collectibles are the main source of story-mode trophies beyond the missions themselves, and several unlock unique vehicles or missions.
The thing to know about GTA 5 rampages before starting is which items are tracked by the game and which are not; the untracked ones need a checklist.
The 100% completion list only requires 25 of the 50 stunt jumps and 25 of the 50 under-the-bridge flights, so GTA 5 rampages may be worth doing only as far as the checklist needs.
Step by step: GTA 5 rampages
Six or seven steps cover GTA 5 rampages. None of them is optional the first time:
Before you start: a helicopter or plane for rooftop and mountain items; story progress to the point where the relevant character or equipment is available.
- Open Stats > 100% Checklist in the pause menu to see which items in GTA 5 rampages already count, then work from a map in a fixed order.
- Meet the prerequisite character if there is one - Omega for spaceship parts, the Sonar Collections Dock purchase (250,000) for nuclear waste, Abigail for submarine pieces.
- Sweep by region rather than by number: the in-game list is ordered by Rockstar's numbering, not geography.
- Claim the reward: letter scraps unlock the 'A Starlet in Vinewood' mission, spaceship parts unlock the Space Docker, nuclear waste pays 23,000 per barrel plus a 250,000 bonus.
Done once, the sequence is easy to repeat; done out of order, it rarely works.
Pair this section with GTA 5 characters abilities if you are planning a full session.
Terms used in this guide
If any wording in this guide was unfamiliar:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sonar Collections Dock | The Paleto Cove property that enables the nuclear waste hunt |
| Tracked | A collectible counted in the Awards or Social Club stats |
| Strand | A chain of Strangers and Freaks missions tied to a collectible |
Key data for GTA 5 rampages
These are the figures we check against after each update:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Endings | A: Something Sensible (kill Trevor), B: The Time's Come (kill Michael), C: The Third Way (Deathwish) - the only ending where all three survive |
| Protagonists | Michael De Santa (Ned Luke), Franklin Clinton (Shawn Fonteno), Trevor Philips (Steven Ogg) |
| Released | September 17, 2013 (PS3/360), November 2014 (PS4/One), April 14, 2015 (PC), March 15, 2022 (PS5/Series X|S), March 2025 (PC Enhanced) |
| Main story length | Around 31 hours for the main missions, 80+ hours for 100 percent (HowLongToBeat averages) |
Readers skimming should look at Endings, Protagonists and Released; the 'Detail' column is the one to compare.
Figures like these move when Rockstar patches, which is why the last-checked date sits at the top of the page.
Does platform matter for GTA 5 rampages?
The same guide, three platforms - here is what differs:
- PS5 / Xbox Series X|S / PC: All collectible sets including peyote and monkey mosaics
- PS4 / Xbox One: Same sets as current-gen
- PS3 / Xbox 360: Missing the sets added with the 2014 re-release
Small things that matter
Points that rarely make it into GTA 5 rampages guides but should:
- →Peyote plants and some events only exist on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S and PC - not the original PS3/360 versions.
- →The golden peyote needs 100 percent completion, foggy weather and the early-morning window on specific days.
- →Nuclear waste requires the submarine from the Sonar dock; the Trackify app on the phone points to each barrel.
- →Letter scraps complete the Leonora Johnson case; the reward is the Dreyfuss mission, best done as Franklin.
Pick your route
The GTA 5 rampages approaches we would actually recommend, and who each suits:
Reward-first
Prioritise sets with payouts: nuclear waste (940,000 total), hidden underwater packages (respawning cash), then the vehicle unlocks.
Region sweeps
One session per area - Los Santos, Blaine County, the coast - using an interactive map and the character switch to respawn props.
Checklist-first
Do only what the 100% list needs: 25 stunt jumps, 25 under-the-bridge, all letter scraps, spaceship parts and nuclear waste.
This overlaps with GTA 5 heists - the prerequisites are the same and the guide goes deeper on them.
Fact-check corner
Popular belief versus what the game actually does:
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| Bigfoot can be found anywhere | He appears in the Strangers and Freaks mission and as the golden peyote transformation under strict conditions. |
| You need every collectible for 100% | No. Stunt jumps and under-the-bridge flights only need 25 each; some sets are not in the checklist at all. |
| The jetpack is hidden on Mount Chiliad in GTA V | The Chiliad mural teased it, but the only jetpack is the Thruster in GTA Online. |
Much of this also applies to GTA 5 easter eggs, with one or two differences that guide spells out.
Why GTA 5 rampages matters in 2027
Collectibles count toward 100 percent, which is required for the golden peyote and a handful of other secrets.
What not to do
Where GTA 5 rampages attempts most often fail, in rough order of frequency:
- ✗Not saving between regions
- ✗Missing time-of-day or weather conditions on special spawns
- ✗Collecting with one character when the set is character-specific
- ✗Assuming an online guide's numbering matches the in-game order
Further reading and data
Sources worth bookmarking for GTA 5 rampages:
- Your Social Club stats - your own tracked progress for collectibles, awards and heists
- GTA Wiki - mission scripts, vehicle stats and historical data - check the edit date
- Rockstar Newswire - official announcements, weekly GTA Online bonuses and patch notes
Community testers publish raw data; when our figures and theirs differ we update ours.
How GTA 5 rampages evolved across GTA
Rockstar iterates rather than reinvents, and GTA 5 rampages shows it:
- GTA San Andreas (2004): Los Santos, San Fierro, Las Venturas; Carl Johnson voiced by Young Maylay
- GTA Vice City Stories (2006): PSP prequel with Victor Vance
- GTA Chinatown Wars (2009): Top-down DS and PSP entry with Huang Lee
GTA 6 arrives November 19, 2026 as the next step in that line, set in Leonida with Lucia and Jason.
Checklist before you begin
Have these sorted before you begin; they cannot be fixed mid-run:
- A checklist for untracked sets
- The Sonar Collections Dock or a submarine for anything underwater
- A helicopter or plane for rooftop and mountain items
- An hour or two per full set
- Story progress to the point where the relevant character or equipment is available
Summary
GTA 5 rampages is worth the effort for most players. The exceptions are noted above, and they come down to time and platform rather than skill.
Most readers of this page continue with GTA 5 letter scraps locations and GTA 5 spaceship parts locations.
