GTA Wiki
Register
Advertisement
GTA Wiki
19,722
pages


GTA4Multiplayer-lobby

An Xbox Live pre-game lobby.

Multiplayer is a feature in Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City that immensely expanded multiplayer functions that were otherwise absent, or limited, in previous GTA games.

Description[]

Basic information[]

Multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto IV is hosted on the PlayStation Network (PlayStation), Xbox Live (Xbox), and Games for Windows - LIVE (PC). The game requires a working internet connection or connected to a Local Area Network (exclusively for PC version) and supports up to 16 players (Xbox and PlayStation), and up to 32 (PC). The multiplayer, along with the online leaderboards, were removed from the PC "Complete Edition" updated version of the game on March 19, 2020, due to end of support of Microsoft's Games for Windows Live platform.[1] Despite this, un-patched installations of the game still have multiplayer enabled.

General Gameplay and differences from Single Player[]

Gameplay features differ greatly to those of standard single player. Pickups and armour vests are deployed across the map and are labeled with a specific icon. Health pickups now can be collected while in a vehicle, restoring player's health and vehicle's damage. Weapons pickups now will have a larger amount of ammunition when picked up and are labeled differently (Pistols from Shotguns), but aren't specifically defined (An assault rifle icon can be the AK-47, the M4, or the M249, for example). GPS waypoints can still be placed on the radar and are visible to all players, along with the guided route (if enabled through the main options of the game). Players are labeled with a certain color that represents their characters. Like any ally/enemy in missions, they are labeled with a dot on the minimap, along with a name (pause map only when hovering over them), where the player can identify another player through the cursor and the screens in-game. The player itself, like the protagonists, is represented with an arrow of the designed color. Some games require the player to be on a team. The player's online ID display matches that of their respective team. In addition, the dots that represent other players have an arrow pointing up or down depending on the height difference from the player, or no arrow at all if they are on the same level.

The player can sprint forever, and never gets tired. In addition, the "sprint" button does not need to be repeatedly tapped to run. Instead, the button can just be held down. The player also switches weapons much faster, and all weapons have shorter reload animations from both cover and free-fire as compared to singleplayer. In addition, the player recovers from ragdolling faster, and never ragdolls from getting set on fire. The health system also works differently. Players in multiplayer are rather fragile, and take much more damage from gunshots as compared to the story protagonists. Players tend to take more damage from any damage source, such as falls and getting hit by vehicles. Body Armour is also much weaker, and is less useful at protecting the player from gunfire. To offset this, health and armour pickups are scattered all over the place.

Volumetric grass and bushes do not spawn in grassy areas in multiplayer, as compared to singleplayer. Singleplayer also blurs distant areas with a depth-of-field effect; this effect is missing in TBoGT multiplayer, letting things far away be more clearly seen. (It is still present in TLAD, however). In The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony's multiplayer (and singleplayer), the enhanced bike handling is present, as compared to GTA IV's multiplayer, where bikes handle less responsively. In TBoGT's multiplayer, only two Sticky Bombs can be placed by each player at a time, as compared to 10+ in story mode. The death screen is no longer in slow motion, and the respawn time can be anywhere from one second to half a minute.

Police officers never attempt to arrest the player, and instead immediately shoot them at any wanted level. In singleplayer, when the player gets a three-star wanted level, Police Mavericks will start spawning, and then get replaced by Annihilators at four stars and above; in multiplayer, Annihilators replace Police Mavericks entirely, and as such, they start spawning at three stars and above, and are always piloted by NOOSE officers. Players can accumulate a wanted level simply for being inside the same vehicle that a different, wanted player is also inside of. Thus, caution should be taken riding around with wanted players, as it is likely the player will also become a police target. Also, police roadblocks do not spawn around the bridges and tunnels around the map at a high wanted level. Finally, Police Mavericks, Police Predators, NOOSE Patriots, Police Patrols (the Merit-based model), FIB agents and FIB Buffalos, NOOSE Cruisers, Alderney-specific police officers, police snipers and fat police officers never spawn.

Players can partially communicate with others via the player model. While on foot, pressing the L1 button will allow players to partially converse with others (only in Grand Theft Auto IV). During the game session, the players can be viewed by pressing down on the D-pad of the controller. Like in singleplayer, this also expands the minimap to show a larger area, and this will last for about four seconds before going back to normal, whereas in singleplayer, down on the D-pad must be held down continuously to keep the minimap expanded.

In addition, carjacking NPCs will not make them hostile, even though they may say threatening quotes as they normally do in singleplayer; they will simply run away. However, certain NPCs will still fist-fight the player if they are punched, stabbed or struck with the baseball bat. However, attacking an NPC's vehicle with a melee weapon will usually make them hostile, and if the player then gets inside that vehicle, the hostile NPC will pull the player out and attack.

Differences to Single Player Scenario[]

Multiplayer-GTA4-pickups

The pickup icons in a multiplayer game.

In Multiplayer, many changes are made to Liberty City. Weapons and Health/Body Armour are found in specific locations in the selected region of the city, which the player can still leave anyway. Most novelty vehicles appears in special locations. For example, the Heli Tours heliport spawns Annihilators instead of Heli Tour Mavericks, and in The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer an APC spawns in the East Holland LCPD Station car lot, as well as Police Mavericks on the station's helipad. Most glitches from single player can also be used in multiplayer, as seen here. In addition, almost all interiors and buildings that are locked in singleplayer are opened up in multiplayer. Even more episode-specific locations are unlocked for use in the two expansion's multiplayer modes. A mixture of Buzzards and Annihilators will spawn at all helipads across the city, except for a lone Police Maverick by the APC spawn in northeastern Algonquin, a regular maverick by the underwater tunnel on the Alderney side of the tunnel, and another Maverick on a helipad in a rich person's backyard in Northwood. Vehicle variety is massively decreased as compared to singleplayer, with a fixed pool of the same dozen or so vehicles spawning everywhere across the city. This renders most vehicles totally inaccessible in multiplayer. A similar situation occurs with NPC characters, where a small pool of the same NPCs will spawn everywhere, with zero variation. The only exception is homeless NPCs, which still spawn in their normal locations. In TBoGT only, the large white yacht seen in a singleplayer mission is always present in the same place it was in the story, complete with a Buzzard on the helipad. The Statistics tab of the pause menu cannot be accessed, as well. Pigeons, wall-mounted health kits and other collectibles do not spawn. Some special vehicles have fixed spawn points, such as the Sultan RS spawn behind a run-down garage in Northwood, boats at various docks, Police Stingers at all police stations, fire trucks at fire stations, and so forth. Pay N' Spray works as normal, including being able to rid oneself of a wanted level if used. In addition, law enforcement who are "killed" (i.e, the health bar depleted, but not actually dead) and remain harmless on the floor uttering quotes do not occur here, as depleting a target's health bar will always truly kill them here. Armed bikers and gang members also do not appear, though security guards still appear and will shoot the player if a gun is pointed at them or discharged near them.

In addition, all three islands are accessible in multiplayer regardless of the player's progression in the story.

Accessing Multiplayer[]

Multiplayer is available from the beginning of the game (after The Cousins Bellic), though Niko actually receives his real phone in the second mission (It's Your Call). To access multiplayer, the player has to bring up the cell phone and select "multiplayer". On PC, this will bring up a menu that contains Quick Match, Custom Match, Ranked Match, and Player Model On Quick Match; the player has the option to play on LIVE or LAN. The game modes on PC are the same as on console, except for the PC version having two extra tracks in Race and GTA Race. Meanwhile, on console versions of GTA IV, selecting multiplayer will bring up a new menu which contains six options:

Games[]

Brings the player to two options: Quick Match, and Custom Match. Quick Match allows the player to jump into a game via the game lobby, while Custom Match allows the player to customize the game type, as well as the private slots (the number of players that require a game invite to join).

Party Mode[]

An invite-only variant of Free Mode. The player(s) are free to do as they wish as with free mode. Each one also starts party mode at the Alderney Casino (also marked with a safehouse icon) with a selected variety of vehicles on the area. Default settings are used here. If at least two players are in the game, then they can start any game (see above). When the host leaves, then another player is appointed party leader.

Invites[]

Game invites are shown here. Selecting one of these will allow the player to join the game in which the player's friend(s) are in. Invites last until the game session is over. If waited too long the player can still join, but they will have skipped the game lobby. These can be sent if the player is or isn't already in a game session. Invites sent to someone playing single player will appear just like a text message notification does. On PC, invites are not available in Ranked Matches, they cannot be accessed on the phone, or on the Games for Windows - LIVE Guide.

Player Model[]

Multiplayer-GTA4-playermodel

The player model screen.

Selecting this allows the player to customize the look of their multiplayer character. As with each rank, the player will unlock more clothing (highlighted when ranking up). Player models are separated between a man and a woman, so the player can customize both genders separately, as well as a zombie model after ranking up to level 1. (The zombie is GTA IV only)

One can change their character model before starting a match. Note that in some games, more specifically Turf War, Cops 'n' Crooks, Bomb Da Base II, Hangman's NOOSE, and Deal Breaker, the player will assume the appearance of a generic gang member (or a police officer in Cops 'n' Crooks). If the player has already joined a match, they can't change their model until the match expires (or after leaving an infinite Free Mode).

The three games have different ranges of outfit customization, and one character model in one game will be different from another game, even on the same profile.

Preferences[]

Options that the player can change. The three options are: auto-aim, police, and friendly fire. Each can be set to disallow, don't care (random), or allow. Players join games based on their preferences, unless they use an invite. Preferences are not available on PC.

Auto-aiming: Only works against people who attack the player, so innocent pedestrians who pose no threat to the player won't be auto-targeted. This also has to be enabled through the main options menu. Though, if reticule health is enabled, and the player's weapon target is set to complex, the current health of an NPC can still be tracked.

Police: Enabling the wanted system works just as it would in single player, except the absence of the FIB. Wanted levels are only visible through the player's perspective. Due to this, others can only have a sense of the wanted level of another player based on the quantity of law enforcement groups pursing one another. Police will also attempt to kill players rather than arrest them. None of the police settings apply in party mode. If a player escapes but is carrying another player, is possible that the other player will be still chased by cops, depending of the wanted level earned by their own.

Friendly-fire: Allows players to be killed by another player directly. When enabled, every player has the chance of kill someone with firearms. When disabled, they can only receive damage from an AI or player's vehicles, cops (if enabled), crashing a wrecked helicopter, or falling.

Tutorial[]

A quick tutorial about multiplayer. Selecting this will transport the player to Charge Island, where the game gives beginners instructions about weapons, pickups, games and teams. To view the tutorial, the player cannot have a wanted level. The multiplayer tutorial is disabled on PC.

Inside a match[]

The phone is a vital tool that can be accessed at any point during gameplay and tells anything about the match. Cheats are obviously disabled in multiplayer, as the player no longer can use the phone's numbers.

When inside a match, these options appear:

Phonebook[]

This contains the other members of the game session, as well as Zit!, which is always in the phonebook. There are three options for each of them.

The first one is Call, where a player can call other players via headset/microphone and only works if the player has one. The second one is to "mute" and "unmute" other players when desired. If a player is muted by all other players that started in the lobby, then they can't receive calls until they are unmuted. The last one is kick, where the player can select another one to be kicked out of the match. This can be used if a player is repeatedly causing trouble for other players, or if others want to maintain a private match. Upon using this, a message will appear in the top left corner reading "<<PSN/XBL name>> Wants to Kick <<PSN/XBL name>>". To kick a player, there will be a majority between the match. Provided there is at least three players, two can kick another player from the game. If someone is kicked from a game, then they can't return to it, and are stated as "<<PSN/XBL name>> left the game".

Kicking can also be used in the game lobby before it starts. It's commonly used when the host takes too long to start.

Leave Game[]

Self explanatory, selecting this will allow the player to leave the current game session, and return to singleplayer. The player can also leave by accessing options, and selecting leave under the game menu.

Game Info[]

Information on the current game. Has the description of the game, as well as the set preferences, and host's options.

Multiplayer[]

Selecting this will let the player start a new game, party mode, or with the downloaded The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, change the episode.

Friends[]

Allows the player to send a game invite for friends to join them. Friends can only be invited if they have a IV icon (IV) next to their name. If the friend doesn't have one and their name is in black, it means they are online, but not playing Grand Theft Auto IV. If the name is grayed out, however, they are offline.

Next Game[]

Selecting this, and selecting another game allows the player to suggest the next game. If all players suggest the same game, a time will count down from 8:00 before starting the new game.

Game types[]

Player match[]

Player Match puts the player up against others in every possible multiplayer mode. Scores in these matches are not carried over into other matches, and are irrelevant once the time is up. You also cannot earn money or achievements in this mode; it's a casual mode, well-suited for socializing and getting a feel for the different modes before jumping into Ranked matches. Player Match does not exist in the PlayStation 3 version of the game. It is very common for LAN matches for PC version only.

Ranked match[]

Ranked Matches — either on PlayStation Network, Games for Windows - LIVE, or Xbox Live — give the player a rank which will gradually increase (to a maximum rank of 10) as they advance and earn money. Advancing in rank unlocks additional clothing for one's multiplayer character. Some money earned in team matches is split up equally (Turf War, Team Car Jack City). Although in others the amount of money the player earns depends on how much they have made (Team Deathmatch, Hangman's NOOSE, Deal Breaker, and Bomb Da Base II). Any money received at the end of one of the three co-op games is the same for everyone. Below is a list showing the amount of money needed to get to each rank. If the player is in a game they may have to spectate before the current game ends and they can join in. Leaving the game will see that no money or network stats are recorded, this is the same if the player is kicked. Killing oneself or member of the same team will cost the player (or team) a loss of $100. The same applies to being killed by an NPC. Ranked money from regular Grand Theft Auto IV will carry on to The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. As such, Rank progression is tied across all three games, provided they are all played on the same online profile.

Ranking system
Rank Money
0 $0
1 $1,000
2 $10,000
3 $50,000
4 $100,000
5 $250,000
6 $500,000
7 $750,000
8 $1,000,000
9 $2,500,000
10 $5,000,000

Game options[]

These are the options in which the host of the game (represented by a crown icon) can alter. Anything native to a game session is not listed here.

Location Duration Weapons Traffic Pedestrians
  • 5 minutes
  • 10 minutes
  • 15 minutes
  • 20 minutes
  • 30 minutes
  • 45 minutes
  • 60 minutes
  • Unlimited (Free Mode only)
  • $500
  • $1000
  • $2500
  • $5000
  • $7500
  • $10000
  • Weak (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Glock 17 in GTA IV, Automatic CZ75 in TLAD)
  • Standard (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Desert Eagle in both)
  • Powerful (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the MP-10 in both)
  • Pistols (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Glock 17 in GTA IV, Automatic CZ75 in TLAD)
  • Shotguns (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Stakeout in GTA IV, Sawn-off double barrel in TLAD)
  • Projectiles (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with Molotovs in both)
  • Melee (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the baseball bat in both, pool cue is absent in TLAD)
  • SMGs (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Micro Uzi in both)
  • Assault rifles (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the AK-47 in both)
  • Rocket launchers (GTA IV only, players spawn with the RPG-7)
  • Grenade launchers (TLAD only, player spawn with the HK69A1)
  • Sniper rifles (players spawn with the Remington 700 in GTA IV and TLAD, PSG-1 in TBoGT)
  • Episodic (TBoGT only, players spawn with the Automag in TBoGT)
  • Sticky Bombs (TBoGT only, player spawn with Sticky Bombs)
  • Explosives (TBoGT only, players spawn with the HK69A1)
  • Automatics (TBoGT only, players spawn with the Gold Uzi in TBoGT)
  • All (GTA IV and TLAD only, players spawn with the Glock 17 in GTA IV, Automatic CZ75 in TLAD)
  • Biker Weapons (TLAD only, players spawn with the Automatic CZ75)

Episode-specific weapon pickups replace GTA IV's weapons where applicable, such as the M249 SAW replacing the M4A1 in TBoGT.

  • Parked
  • Low
  • Medium
  • High
  • Off (police will still spawn, though only when getting wanted levels)
  • Low
  • Medium
  • High
Blips Online ID Display/Gamertag Display Reticule Health Voice Chat Respawn Distance (exclusive to non-free mode game modes only)
  • None
  • All
  • Near (only option other than all available in TLAD free mode, strangely)
  • Far
  • Leader (Exclusive to non-free mode game modes only)
  • On
  • Off
  • On
  • Off
  • On
  • Off
  • Near
  • Medium
  • Far
Respawn Time Time of Day Weather
  • 1 second
  • 5 seconds
  • 10 seconds
  • 15 seconds
  • 20 seconds
  • 25 seconds
  • 30 seconds
  • Random
  • Morning
  • Midday
  • Evening
  • Midnight
  • Variable
  • Clear
  • Overcast
  • Drizzle
  • Rain
  • Foggy

Statistics[]

Upon completing a game, a statistics screen will appear on the screen. This will list all the players, along with their rank, and how much money is needed to gain a level up. It also shows how much money the player has made, how many kills, and how many deaths. It will also show things that are native to the game such as how many turfs were taken over in Turf War, how many cars were delivered in Car Jack City, what place the player was in during a race, or a deathmatch, or how many tasks were carried through in Mafiya Work. The player can search stats in the option menu by pressing the start button. These are worldwide stats that track every game except for free mode and party mode. These can only be viewed in single player.

Kills[]

Whenever someone is killed by the AI (mostly cops) or other players, a message will appear in the top-left corner reading "<<name>> Died" or "<<name>> killed <<name>>". This message used to describe the killing differs between anything the player can do onto another (weapons or vehicles). The multiplayer killfeed uses a variety of messages to indicate the death of players in gameplay, which follow a basic "Player1" "<term>" "Player2" format, where the first is the attacker and the second, the victim.

Cause(s) of death Term(s)
Falling, being shot by a cop, killed by an NPC, killed by own explosives, crashing in a wrecked helicopter, drowning, leaving the map boundaries, burning to death from any fire source other than other players (getting set on fire from vehicles blown up by other players will count as a kill for them, only wrecks the player caused or molotovs they've thrown will count as a suicide) Died
Fist/Baseball Bat/Pool Cue/Gunbutting with a firearm (only happens if the player uses the attack button with a gun in hand while directly touching another player, damage varies per weapon) battered / beat down / bludgeoned / brained / broke / cracked / hammered / homered / pummeled / smashed
Knife butchered / cut up / diced / eviscerated / filleted / slashed / spiked / stabbed / stuck it to / striped
Handguns 2nd amendmented / capped / clipped / clocked / deaded / pistoled / popped / shot / smoked / whacked
Shotguns/Advanced Sniper 12 bored / blew away / double barreled / farmed / opened up / perforated / pumped / put a load in / shelled / shottied
Submachine Guns cancelled / crossed out / cut down / massacred / peppered / plugged / riddled / SMGed / sprayed / ventilated
Assault Rifles/Annihilator 3rd worlded / annihilated / armied / decommissioned / drilled / ended / killed / machined / punctuated / terminated
Sniper Rifles assassinated / brought down / caught out / high-calibered / lightning bolted / nailed / picked off / sniped / struck down / surprised
Molotov Cocktails/ Fires started by other players (any fires started by the player counts a suicide, see above note) barbecued / blazed / burnt / charred / cindered / cooked / flame grilled / ignited / roasted / torched
Grenades/Helicopter Blades/Rocket Launcher/Grenade Launcher/Car explosion caused by other players with the player still inside the vehicle atomized / blasted / blew up / blitzed / detonated / fucked up / pulverized / shocked & awed / totaled / vaporized
Buzzard Attack Chopper weaponry (Both the miniguns and rocket pods are treated as the same weapon in the killfeed) dominated / iced / killed / murdered / pulverized / slaughtered / took out / took down / wiped out
Getting run over by any vehicle controlled by another player (If another player bails out of a moving vehicle and that vehicle kills another player, it will simply be counted as a "died" kill) accidented / crushed / flattened / gouranga'd / hit and runned / manslaughtered / plowed / ran-over / shocked / splattered / steamrollered

The death of the player will result in loss of all current weapons and armour, but upon respawning, the player is granted a few seconds of invincibility.

As a side note about killfeed messages, when a player deals damage to another player, such as shooting them, but not killing them, and that other player dies by a suicide later, it will be counted as a kill for the attacking player. For example, Player 1 shoots Player 2 with a shotgun. Player 2 survives and then in the same life, later dies via a suicide, be it falling, blowing himself up, etc. Player 1 will be awarded the kill, and the killfeed will reflect this with Player 1 shelled Player 2. However, if Player 2 is attacked by a different player in that same life before committing suicide, Player 1 in this instance would not be awarded a kill. This mechanic is very inconsistent (it happens at random and is rather rare) and can lead to confusion when a player is seemingly killed out of nowhere by another player, even if the attacking player was nowhere near the now-dead player.

Modes[]

Freeroam modes[]

Mode Players Objective
FreeMode-GTA4-gameplay
Free Mode
2-16 This mode is similar to the single-player game, except played with friends. It is a complete free-for-all, with no rules, objectives, time limit or score. Like Party Mode, it does not gain the player game money or achievements.
PartyMode-GTA4-gameplay
Party mode
2-8 Basically the same as free mode but can only be entered with a game invitation. Party Mode throws everyone on the same team and sets everyone to respawn in the exact same location the Alderney casino. First-aid kits, armor, and weapons regularly spawn here, as well as all of Liberty City. There are no police in Party Mode. As the name would suggest, Party Mode is a way of collecting all of your friends before entering other game modes, and does not gain the player game money or achievements.

Competitive modes[]

Mode Players Objective
Deathmatch-GTA4-gameplay
Deathmatch
2-16 A complete free for all. Anything goes. Combat is confined to specific areas of Liberty City in order to keep the action focused. Police (including NOOSE and/or FIB) are optionally present, depending on the host's chosen settings, and will not attempt to arrest players, instead attempting to kill them.
MafiyaWork-GTA4-gameplay
Mafiya Work
2-8 Working under the direction of Kenny Petrovic via the cellphone, the player competes against other players in a series of mini-missions. This may involve picking up recruits for the firm, taking out a target, or even collecting weapons from Petrovic to use against others.
CarJackCity-GTA4-enteringacar
Car Jack City
4-16 Car Jack City pits the player against everyone else in a race to steal vehicles for Kenny Petrovic. The amount of money earned depends on the condition of the car, except if the vehicle contains drugs. If the host has allowed police, they will try to stop players from taking vehicles to drop-off points. Also health pickups don't fix the vehicles/

TIP: Destroy other players' cars.

Team modes[]

Mode Players Objective
TeamDeathmatch-GTA4-gameplay
Team Deathmatch
2-16

(up to 8 teams of two)

Players work as a team to kill other team(s) for money; the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins. There are no restrictions. Each player will gain the money they have personally earned by killing opponents. Police are present in this game (including NOOSE/FIB at 4 wanted level stars).
TeamMafiyaWork-GTA4-instructions
Team Mafiya Work
2-16

(up to 8 teams of two)

The player is a member of a crew doing contract work for Kenny Petrovic as with regular Mafiya Work. These are time-limited missions including escorting wanted men, picking up items and stealing cars. Rival crews attempt to accomplish the same task. Interfering with other crews will slow their progress and increase one's chances of earning the money. Each contract completed gives the team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.
TeamCarJackCity-GTA4-delivery
Team Car Jack City
2-8 teams The same as regular Car Jack City, vehicles will randomly spawn on the map, and the players have be the first ones to get them, and take them to the drop-off point. The condition of the car determines the amount of money earned for the player, unless the vehicle is stuffed with drugs. The teams also share the money equally.
Cops'n'Crooks-GTA4-shootout
Cops 'n' Crooks
4-16

(two teams only)

A team-based mode in which the Crooks must get their Boss to safety, while the Cops have to take him down. The Boss is marked with a cross hair. This mode has two sub-modes: All for One and One for All.
  • In All for One, one team is made up of Crooks and a Boss, and the other team is made up of Cops. The Cops are trying to hunt down and kill the Boss while the Crooks are trying to protect him. The Cops win by killing the Boss, and the Crooks win by getting the Boss safely to the getaway vehicle and escaping.
  • One for All is similar, but there is no Boss. Here, the Cops win by killing all of the Crooks, or destroying the getaway vehicle; Crooks win by filling up a getaway vehicle with members of their team, or killing all the Cops. Only 4 people can escape in the getaway vehicle. Players cannot respawn in this mode.
File:TurfWar-GTA4-takingturf.jpg
Turf War
2 teams only A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map which can be taken by standing near them for a short period of time. The more players that stand at a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases a team owns, the faster their cash score increases. If a gang is on or near a base, their rivals won't be able to take control of it. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

Cooperative missions[]

Mode Players Objective
DealBreaker-GTA4-shootout
Deal Breaker
2-4 Under orders of Kenny Petrovic, players must ambush a drug deal between the Angels of Death, and an unspecified Mafia family. The deal is underway at the Acter Industrial Park. The objective here is to eliminate both parties, collect the drugs, and meet back at the rendezvous point. Some of the witnesses may attempt to escape by boat, by bike, or even both. Only 5 respawns on Easy, 4 respawns on Medium, or 3 respawns on Hard are granted.
Hangman'sNOOSE-GTA4-pickup
Hangman's NOOSE
2-4 Russian Mafia boss Kenny Petrovic has illegally flown into Francis International Airport, and someone has tipped off the cops. The objective is to escort Petrovic to safety while being pursued by the Liberty City Police Department's NOOSE (SWAT) division. Only 5 respawns on Easy, 4 respawns on Medium, or 3 respawns on Hard are granted, making sustained survival a priority.
BombDaBaseII-GTA4-explosion
Bomb Da Base II
2-4 Bomb Da Base II (its name referring to a mission from GTA III) requires a gang of players to work in unison and sabotage the Platypus, a ship being used by the Albanians for exporting cars. Only 5 respawns on Easy, 4 respawns on Medium, or 3 respawns on Hard are granted. Unlike the other two, survival isn't needed as you will still receive money for completing the mission.

Race modes[]

Mode Players Objective
Race-GTA4-startingpoint
Race
2-16 Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order. If the player takes a wrong turn or otherwise messes up, they can respawn at the last checkpoint passed. There is a large selection of races for cars, boats, and helicopters - players can choose laps and vehicle class/type. There are two types of races: Free Race and Cannonball Run.
  • Free Races are point-to-point races, where the first one to the finish wins.
  • Cannonball Runs are races where participants must traverse several checkpoints in any way possible.
GTARace-GTA4-pickup
GTA Race
2-16 Similar to the orthodox Race, but with the added element of combat. This is a checkpoint race where participants can also pick up weapons spawned en route to help take out opponents. The vehicle can be exited during this type of race. Unlike the standard race, the player will receive money for every kill they have made.

Almost all of the gamemodes mentioned here are exclusive to GTA IV. The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony have less options overall for multiplayer, such as Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Free Mode, Races and GTA Races being the only playable gamemodes.

Achievements/Trophies in Multiplayer[]

Main article: Achievements in GTA IV.
Achievement Means of acquirement
Teamplayer Kill 5 opposing team members.
Cut Your Teeth Earn a rank promotion.
Join the Midnight Club Achieve first place in a race with damage enabled, but minimal damage to your vehicle.
Fly The Co-Op Complete Deal Breaker in under 7:04
Hangman's Noose in under 2:32 seconds
Bomb Da Base II in under 5:56 seconds.
Taking it For The Team Have your team win in all ranked Multiplayer games.
Top The Midnight Club Win 20 races. All on different tracks.
Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic Win in all variations of multiplayer as well as each side in Cops n Crooks.
Top of the Food Chain Kill twenty players with a pistol in deathmatch.
Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie Kill a Rockstar developer, or another player who has this achievement in any multiplayer game.
Wanted Reach level 10 in multiplayer.

Notes[]

  • Despite whatever weapon class is on, the player can still receive weapons from other sources. Some of these are pump shotguns, carbine rifles, rocket launchers, and pistols. RPGs can be obtained from entering a parked helicopter, and the other weapons are standard issue for NOOSE and LCPD.
  • In the game's audio files, Police Scanner files for Multiplayer Robberies still exist. Robberies could be taken place in a specific pawn shop, for example. Robberies may have been originally intended for multiplayer.
  • Players cannot stray too far from the playing area, as after a certain distance, going too far out into the ocean will give a warning message to turn back. Ignoring this message and continuing onward will eventually instantly blow up the player's vehicle. If swam out there manually, the player will slowly start taking tiny bits of damage, but strangely, no warning is given.
  • Pickup icons for weapons for some weapon classes, such as snipers and assault rifles, were changed between GTA IV and the expansions. Why this change was made is not known.
  • The Pool Cue is present in TBoGT's multiplayer mode; however, normally it is inaccessible.
  • Players have unique dialogue when being harassed by police foot patrols. (For example, the Asian male can say "Fuck you, I hate cops!" or the white male "Woah, I've been a good boy, officer.") They also randomly utter quotes when struck by vehicles, being shot, and when the vehicle they are driving is hit. However, these lines happen randomly and cannot be triggered on the fly like GTA IV's exclusive quotes. Each race and gender has a unique set of lines for the mentioned triggers. They also scream when set on fire, reusing generic NPC screams, along with screaming when falling, also using NPC screams.
  • Vehicles are started by players faster, most notably large trucks and the APC's engines being turned on the first try. Most vehicles are also already unlocked and do not need to be broken into, though rarely a vehicle will need to have its windows broken to enter it.
  • One of the lines spoken by the white male character selectable in multiplayer implies he is a veteran of some unknown war. When shot, sometimes he will panic and yell "Just like in the war!".

See Also[]

References[]

External Links[]

  • GTA4.net - Multiplayer: gametypes, modes, online.
  • GTASeries - Detailed guide of multiplayer clothing.

Navigation[]

[ ve ]Grand Theft Auto IV
LocationsLiberty City (Algonquin | Bohan | Broker | Dukes) | Alderney
CharactersCharacters | Niko Bellic | Roman Bellic | Vlad Glebov | Mikhail Faustin | Dimitri Rascalov | Brucie Kibbutz | Elizabeta Torres | Patrick McReary | Playboy X | Dwayne Forge | United Liberty Paper contact | Ray Boccino | Jimmy Pegorino
ContentMissions | Random characters | Friends | Girlfriends | Vehicles | Weapons | Clothing | Internet | Radio Stations | Safehouses | TV Shows
Information100% Completion | Achievements and Trophies | Cheats | Features | Trailers | Multiplayer
Episodes from Liberty CityThe Lost and Damned | The Ballad of Gay Tony
CrossoversDiamonds | Heroin | Impossible Trinity (Museum Piece, Collector's Item, and Not So Fast)
Advertisement