The best GTA 5 mods
Our favourite tweaks include forests in San Andreas and more than 50 new heists.
There are so many Grand Theft Auto 5 mods, with more constantly being added, that this is our sixth seventh eighth run at expanding our extensive list. There are literally thousands of ways to alter your single-player game, developed and posted over the past nine years or so. We're always updating it! Mods drop off the list if they haven't been updated in forever, or as they get replaced by something better.
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A warning before we start: While Rockstar has stated it does not ban players for modding their single-player game, this isn’t the case for GTA Online. Joining GTA Online with single-player mods installed can get you banned, and you should avoid it.
We’ve created a separate guide on how to install mods in GTA 5, so be sure to check that out before you start downloading the mods you find on this list. You'll need to install at least a couple other files to get these working. With all that said, let’s get modding!
GTA 5 mods: Quality of life mods
Resource Adjuster
Resource Adjuster is a relatively new mod, which attempts to fix some of the texture loss and other issues caused by the game not using your PC hardware efficiently. It's a must if you're experiencing issues, particularly if you're running a bunch of other mods. This mod works best if you have a pretty high-end machine, which is to say, has at least 8GB of memory for use by GTA 5. There's an INI file you can configure for use with less, but it'll be less effective overall.
Gameconfig
As described in more detail in our GTA 5 mods installation guide, you have to install other files to make mods work. Gameconfig is an additional mod that adjusts the main settings of GTA 5 in order to make sure you're ready to go for all the other mods you might be interested in. PLEASE NOTE: Despite its ultra-frequent updates, recent changes have caused this mod to sometimes have an issue or two for a few people. If you experience a problem, change the clothstore value to 600 in the .xml file.
Stand
Stand is a mod menu, crash catcher, augmented reality client, chat improver… all rolled into one. There's a free version to try and a paid version to buy, and this one might actually be worth it. There are aspects of this mod that can apply to GTA Online, which we do not recommend. The standalone upgrades are worth it.
Menyoo 2.0
Want to customize GTA 5 in nearly every way you can imagine? Meyoo makes it easy, whether you want to make new maps (or building interiors or cars with wild stuff attached) or virtually any other single-player modification you might have in mind.
Simple Trainer for GTA 5
This mod does a few things for the beginning mod user, but its most important function is the ability to spawn into the game anything you want from the various other mods and packs you install (especially car packs). It's a little simpler to use than Menyoo if all you want is to drop something from a mod in-game.
GTA 5 gameplay mods
Heists
This mod is a megapack of custom storylines, all centered around a variety of different kinds of heists. Some are taken from GTA Online; others are brand-new from the mind of the creator. They're all pretty fun to play through. Rob a bank, help the feds steal confidential data, battle rival gangs–the mod comes with no less than 55 separate missions.
LS Life
This classic script allows you to set yourself up as a drug dealer in game, complete with minions and rival dealers to battle. If you've ever wanted to set up your own stash houses and conduct (illicit) business in game, this is still the mod for you.
Property Management
Want to become the landlord–or slumlord–of San Andreas? Property Management is the mod for you. Buy (or otherwise acquire) properties in the city, fill them with stuff and staff (there's that helipad you always wanted), and pore over those daily billing details of all the financial outcomes, including taxes, salaries and rent. Do pay those bills, though–we learned that one the hard way.
Complex Control
Complex Control adds 100 unique character skins, 75 unique and balanced abilities, roguelite, permadeath and battle royale mechanics, and is the work of over 1,500 hours of solo development. In short: THEAETIK's Complex Control transforms the face of GTA 5 entirely.
With procedural gameplay and permanent progression, it really is in a league of its own. It’s also still being updated. A massive influx of new features in January added 20 new abilities, new weapons, and an enemy alert system. Marvel at its trailer above.
Hulk Script Mod
This mod underscores the entertainment value in throwing caution to the wind and tearing Los Santos to shreds. Doing so as the Incredible Hulk is something you really must experience, as the joy that stems from ripping lamp posts out of the ground and playing baseball and/or golf with police cars is second to none. Works best with this Avengers Hulk model to make your Hulk look better than ever.
Ultimate Superman Mod
Frankly, this is more a Homelander mod than a Superman mod, given the havoc you’ll likely wreak using it. Yet while it may not accurately simulate Superman’s morality, the Ultimate Superman Mod is nonetheless an excellent recreation of Superman’s powers.
It has a superb flight model, bespoke melee attacks, laser vision, tornado throw and freeze wind. It even lets you do the iconic crouch-leap to get into the air, and smash into the ground when you land. If you do feel like helping folks out, or up, a gentle-lift option is available.
Simple Jobs
So maybe you want to get your money the old fashioned way, and earn it; this is definitely the mod for you. Simple Jobs adds seven different jobs you can perform to earn cash, which have a sometimes-uncomfortable amount of realism (don't show up for work and see what happens to you).
Gang and Turf
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Lucas Vinicius' Gang and Turf mod has been around for a while, but is still being grown and supported in 2024 with things like bug fixes and new weapons. It adds GTA: San Andreas' gang warfare system—in all its PS2-era, squad-based, territory-capturing mini-game glory.
Paying close deference to its source material, Gang and Turf charges players with heading up their own murder squads—within which members are registered, crew colours are sworn by, and patches are defended. Team vehicles are assigned for squad-based transportation, and backup can be patched in by land or parachute when things get heavy. The results are suitably chaotic, particularly when multiple companies rough it out for the same stretches of land—or when another gang relocates their spawn point on the fly.
Warfare MOD
Zanzou's GTA 5 Warfare mod adds 20v20 military-themed showdowns that must be seen to be believed. Skirmishes can incorporate tanks, choppers and other vehicles for maximum chaos—while battlegrounds can range from yachts to full Los Santos districts. There's also a survival mode, which pits you against an infinitely spawning number of baddies.
Better Chases+
A more recent fork of the classic Better Chases, Better Chases+ adds much more realism to the police who pursue you (though not on the level of "Pull Me Over," another mod in which they actually just give you tickets).
Better Chases makes wanted stars a progression system, where cops remember you and get more aggressive as you go. Arrest Warrants add new gameplay after a chase ends, and the cops that pursue you will be a lot more intelligent about when they do (and don't) find you.
Railroad Engineer
Trains are the unstoppable juggernauts of the GTA 5 universe, but now you can put on an engineer's cap and drive e'm, crash 'em, and even derail 'em (finally!) with the Railroad Engineer mod. All aboard for some major destruction. Works with commuter trams as well as the freight trains.
Bass Dragon's Euphoria Ragdoll Overhaul
There are a bunch of mods that update GTA 5's Europhia ragdoll physics, but we're fans of Bass Dragon's recent redo. It's not realistic physics, but the more extreme version you might be used to from Max Payne 3 or the original Red Dead Redemption. For a more-feasible take on body physics, check out ChrisPy's appropriately-named Realistic Euphoria Reactions.
Bounty Hunter Script
Adds random bounty hunter missions to the game. You call a contact, which starts the hunt at a random location in the game. The target will fight back and run away. Once you've caught them, you can search them for rewards and turn them into the LSPD.
Cops: Back on the Beat
Adds patrolling police officers on foot, on bikes and in cars, for that added bit of danger whenever you're doing something you shouldn't on the streets of Los Santos.
GTA 5 vehicle mods
There are lots and lots and lots of car mods for GTA 5. There are a good handful of motorbikes, helicopters, and airplanes too—as well as hundreds of bicycles and some truly oddball vehicles—but really there are just reams of cars. If there's a true-to-life car you're dying to drive in-game, chances are someone's uploaded it in the vehicles section of 5mods.
Note: Car packs, for whatever reason, seemed to break our installs more than almost any other mod. If you're not confident in your ability to manually remove and edit files, we strongly recommend that you make a backup of your GTA 5 settings folders first before installing new car pack mods. Really, it's probably not a bad idea for other mods, too.
Gta5KoRn Car Pack
There are a bunch of fancy car packs (we highlight a few below), but this basic 48-car pack adds some terrific realism to your fantasy world. You won't find this year's models (at least not for free), but you'll get a number of iconic vehicles with real names and badges.
You'll get compacts, race cars, SUVs and sedans from a wide variety of makers. You'll need a trainer (like Simple Trainer, which you can find in our Quality of Life section above) to spawn the cars.
Funny Vehicles
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a cruise in one of GTA 5’s Obey 9F Audi rip-offs, but I’m equally partial to hitting the road in the Batmobile, or tearing up the highway in the Back to the Future DeLorean. These and more await those who enjoy the journey more than the destination.
VanillaWorks Extended Pack
VanillaWorks extended pack adds a massive number of extra vehicles to the base game. Bikes, sports cars, Formula 1 cars, Humvees, trucks, rally cars, classic cars, even yellow school buses. It’s a must-have for any fan of machines with wheels and an engine. Note, however, that VanillaWorks requires a few additional mods installed to function, listed in the mod’s description.
Pikachu
This bright-yellow LEGO-style car is in the shape of your favorite Pokemon. What more could you need?
Motorcycle in the Shape of a Pig
The name pretty much says it all. Why drive a piece of shiny chrome when you could be on the back of an incredibly realistic, dusty farm animal that puts a whole new spin on "taking a ride on your hog?"
GTA 5 weapons mods
As with vehicles, there are oodles and oodles of weapon mods for GTA 5. Just like above, we've picked some fun and silly weapon options for our list here but there are more realistic options in the weapons category on 5mods.
Car Cannon script
You've shot cars in GTA 5, but have you ever shot cars? Like, out of your gun? The Car Cannon script replaces your bullets with automobiles, letting you fire a stream of cars and trucks of all kinds, because why the hell not? It's Los Santos. Place is wild.
Silkteam Lightsaber Script V2 & Lightsaber Pack
Download here and here
Combined, the Silkteam Lightsaber Pack and Script not only add a bunch of cool lightsaber models into the game, they also add effective lightsaber combat. This includes the ability to throw your lightsaber, along with a handful of force powers like Force Jump and Force Kick, although no Force Lightning, sadly.
Realistic Gun Sounds
I’m always wary of "Realism" mods, as what people consider realistic can vary wildly depending on perception and circumstance. But whether realistic or not, there’s little question that this constantly-updated mod by XENORT makes all the weapons in GTA V sound much, much better.
It not only improves the sound of individual weapons when fired, but also things like sound echo, impact noise, and even the sound of NPC ragdolls hitting the ground. It’s an essential addition to GTA V’s soundscape. Realistic Weapon Sound is another great mod in this niche.
Easter Basket with Easter Eggs
New for 2024, this mod does just what it says, giving you an Easter basket full of brightly-colored ammo. Okay, it's actually a replacement for the briefcase, so probably not too effective. But you'll look fantastic.
Alternative Weapons
If realism isn’t your bag, then Alternative Weapons might be more up your alley. This mod adds an array of… eclectic melee weapons to the base game. These range from some nasty-looking medieval implements like axes and longsword, to more makeshift weapons like road signs and saxophones. So if you find GTA V’s base melee offering a little staid, Alternative Weapons will sort that out pronto.
GTA 5 location mods
Enable All Interiors
Walking into buildings may not sound like a huge addition, but this mod adds functional doors and interiors to just about every building on the map. This mod took over when Open All Interiors stopped getting updated. There are nearly 100 interiors for you to get into, whether you're making videos or staging shootouts.
After Hours SP
The After Hours SP mod brings GTA Online's nightclub update to GTA 5's singleplayer mode. Once installed, players can select the decor and DJ within their clubs in real-time by activating a menu at reception, but cannot promote their venues in the same way the multiplayer campaign allows. Which is almost certainly a good thing.
This mod hasn't been updated since the After Hours release, but is still working for most folks (and worth the download.) It'll play your own MP3s, as well.
ikON Projects
If you're looking for locations with new content, rather than just wild scenery, ikON has you covered. This constantly-updated pack of maps and mods includes GTA Online content, custom locations with a broad selection of activities, and sites across the valley. As a bonus, it includes a fun little safe cracker game.
Safehouse Reloaded
Franklin's pad is nice, but you should really crank your lifestyle up to eleven with an enhanced luxury safehouse. Featuring apartments stuffed to the brim with a wide variety of drinks, drives, weapons and amenities, this safehouse will make you feel like a true kingpin.
Vice Cry Remastered
A recreated version of Vice Cit– er, Vice Cry, inside the San Andreas client? Yes, please. Catch all your favorite Florida sights with this full port masquerading as a mod DLC. Catch it while you can; other similar projects elsewhere have poofed.
GTA 5 mods: PEDs and visual mods
Some mods don't change GTA 5's core gameplay, but rather just replace what you see on screen. Those changes range from remixes that alter the entire environment, to PEDS mods, so named because they change the PEDS file that controls the appearances and properties of pedestrians and other NPCs.
GTA V Remastered Enhanced
This mod does a nice pass over the entire GTA 5 game world, upgrading the way things look, adding more liveliness to the streets, and basically updating the game for modern players. It is compatible with some of the other graphic overhauls (particularly Forests of San Andreas, which makes sense since it's the same guy writing them), and there's a reason why it's been a classic that's been constantly updated for years. There's a paid-via-Patreon Ultimate version by the same developer if you like this version.
Forests of San Andreas Revised
Another Larcius project, this mod turns San Andreas into a cliff-surrounded, reflective forest wonderland. Trees line the streets, which shine with rainfall and reflect the plant life. It's gorgeous, and completely changes the mood of the game.
Yes, another Patreon paid version exists, but even the Revised version (which is free) is good enough to make this feel like an entirely different game. If you want something less Pacific Northwest and more Los Angeles-but-better, try the classic mod L.A. Vegetation.
Real California Architecture
This mod adds the real sights and sounds of L.A. to GTA 5. The Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier, realistic freeway signs–it takes the Los Angeles clone of San Andreas and puts it right back in the real world.
Robocop
GTA V mods that add iconic characters into the game are not always great, but this Robocop model is genuinely one of the best I’ve seen. It’s a super-detailed render of the original 1987 Robocop, complete with his Auto-9 pistol (although sadly it doesn’t holster inside his leg).
If you want to further Robocop-ify Los Santos, why not download this excellent recreation of Robocop’s bike, as well as this pilotable model of ED-209.
Lively World
Lively World expands the dynamism of Los Santos. It adds new events and scenarios to make peds interact with each other and the world more. A few examples include vehicle overtaking, working taxis, carjackers and gang-drivebys. It makes Los Santos feel even more alive than it already does, which is no mean feat.
This mod has been around for a while, and is getting a little long in the tooth; if you experience issues, see the comments on the download page for other users' advice. There's just not another good mod out there that we've found that can replace it, unfortunately.
All Ice Everything
If you're looking for someone/something specific to replace your player character with, don't hesitate to search the Player section of GTA 5 Mods. Video game characters, television show leads, movie actors… chances are, it's out there.
Take this mod, for example, which replaces Franklin with a certain actor/rapper, complete with tattoos, jewelry, wardrobe, and a stack of green that replaces his phone. Ice not your style? How about an eerily good John Cena?
Big Goose
We don't need to explain this one, right?
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Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the late 2000s. Following a few years as a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably so he'd stop emailing them asking for more work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own.
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