Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld

***Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld***, also referred to as ***Grand Theft Auto V: Criminal Underworld***, is an expansion developed by Rockstar North and Rockstar Toronto for *Grand Theft Auto V*, thus requiring the base game to access it.

It was released on September 15, 2020 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and on PC through the Rockstar Games Launcher and Steam platform.

In a similar matter to *Grand Theft Auto IV*'s *Episodes from Liberty City*, when launching up *GTA V*, players will be met with a screen where they can select either the base game, *Criminal Underworld* or *GTA Online*.

## Synopsis

### Setting

The expansion is set during September-October 2020, and takes place mostly in Los Santos and in most parts of Blaine Country, including several missions in Paleto Bay.

### Characters

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Characters*
Unlike *Grand Theft Auto V*, the expansion features only two playable Protagonists.

* Haley Fall: an American associate for the Tachibana Crime Family, being a close friend of its leader.

* Max Ford: a Canadian captain and enforcer of the Ford Crime Family, the youngest brother of 8.

Much like Niko Bellic and Luis Lopez, both Haley and Max are considered enemies to each other, and follow their separate storylines and cross paths quite a few times.

Deuteragonists include Luna Tachibana, leader of the Tachibana Crime Family and Haley's boss/close friend, and Jeffery Ford, leader of the Ford Crime Family and Max's older brother. The former is seen as an antagonist in the Ford storyline while the latter is seen as an antagonist in the Fall storyline.

### Organizations

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Organizations*
The prominent organizations that are featured in the expansion's story include the Families Council, Ford Crime Family, Hall Crime Family and Roger McKay's Professionals.

The Families Council is seen as an alliance of various Japanese-American crime families operating within San Andreas. The Ford Crime Family is a Canadian-American crime family operating within Los Santos and is also part of a larger association of Canadian criminal organizations. The Hall Crime Family and Roger McKay's Professionals are seen as allies to the Ford Crime Family.

There are minor organizations introduced in the expansion as well, but they are mostly featured in the Side Missions and only make cameos in the storyline.

### Premise

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Storyline Missions*
In 2020, Haley Fall and Max Ford are both on different sides of a conflict within Los Santos and Blaine County. Max is sent to Los Santos to work for his older brother Jeffery Ford and becomes a captain and enforcer within the organization Jeffery leads, the Ford Crime Family. Haley is a long-time associate and assassin for the Tachibana Crime Family, and close friend of Luna Tachibana.

Jeffery Ford explains that the Tachibanas were planning to knock them out of the drug trade in Los Santos and Blaine County by attacking them in Grapeseed, but also wishes to use this distraction to attack their drug supply by targeting the Otonashi Crime Family's base of operations in Paleto Bay. Max is dropped off at the Vespucci Helipad where he'll be taken to Paleto Bay to meet with Daniel Bridger, beginning his first assignment. Meanwhile, Haley Fall is tasked by Luna Tachibana to assassinate a prominent captain of the Ford Crime Family in Blaine County who is seen as a major target.

Haley is successful in killing the captain and escapes while Max leads an assault with Ford Crime Family members in Paleto Bay, attacking a farm filled with Otonashi Crime Family members. They are successful in clearing out the farm, having killed everyone. Max impresses Daniel who commends him for it. They clear out of the area after hearing police sirens in the distance. Due to the loss of the Paleto Bay farm, Luna Tachibana becomes furious and contacts Mr. Nakamura, the leader of the Nakamura Crime Family, to notify him of the situation; Mr. Nakamura agrees to supply Luna with drugs to distribute them in Los Santos and sends his cousin Hiro Nakamura to Los Santos to oversee the operation and to serve as their liaison.

As both organizations enter a war in San Andreas, they are both severely weakened from the tasks undertaken by Haley and Max throughout the state:

* Haley finishes off Jack's lieutenants in Grapeseed
* Roger McKay is assassinated by Haley
* Max takes out most of the Otonashi Crime Family in Paleto Bay, their leaders relocating to Los Santos
* Haley nearly kills Jeffery in Del Perro
* Haley kills the leadership of the Hall Crime Family, disbanding them
* Max kills several captains of the Tachibana Crime Family
* Haley assists the Tachibana Crime Family in securing Ford Crime Family funds in Los Santos
* Max assassinates Hiro Nakamura, causing the Nakamura Crime Family to arrive in Los Santos and Blaine County

After two weeks of fighting, Jeffery makes a proposal to Mr. Nakamura as a means of peace and promises to supply them with an additional market in Canada, where Jeffery's other brothers operate. Intrigued, Mr. Nakamura begrudgingly accepts the proposal and as a sign of good faith, he offers him a seat on the Families Council as the fourth crime family. Max is notified of the offering by Jeffery and is instructed to head to the meeting, as he wanted him there, and he makes his way there. Haley is called by Luna and is told to head to the ceremony as well. However, Haley is contacted by Iwasawa Otonashi and is asked to come to her about something more sinister in the shadows.

The player, as Haley, is given two choices: Accept and Decline.

If Accept is chosen, Haley will be told to go to Del Perro Heights where she'll meet with Iwasawa. There, it is revealed that the Ford Crime Family only made the peace proposal in order to have the Families Council lower their guard, as the rest of the Ford Brothers Syndicate makes their way to San Andreas to finish off the Council and ensure their control and influence in the state. Haley and Iwasawa both head to the meeting to kill the Ford Crime Family members there while also showing Luna and Mr. Nakamura the evidence of Jeffery's deception. The Fords fight against the combined forces of Tachibanas and Nakamuras while Haley is ordered to find and kill Jeffery since they were in the same location, seeing it as an opportunity. She is successful in killing Jeffery but is captured. Max becomes the new head of the Ford Crime Family.

If Decline is chosen, Haley will tell Iwasawa that she worries too much, and hangs up. She goes to the meeting and witnesses the ceremony where the Ford Crime Family is admitted into the Families Council, and is revealed that Haley is declared an honourary member of the Tachibana Crime Family and is made Luna's personal enforcer. After the ceremony is over and all parties leave the location, Jeffery reveals to Max on why he made the proposal; the rest of their brothers would be making their way to San Andreas to finish off the Families Council so they could expand to San Fierro and Las Venturas.

Note: if Accept is chosen, Haley will be unavailable after the mission for one in-game week until the mission "Not Forgotten". Decline is considered non-canon to the story.

## Gameplay

### Side Missions

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Side Missions*
Both of the Protagonists are able to perform Side Missions while in free-roam.

### Reputation

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Reputation*
The Protagonists can both earn Reputation to increase their influence and status within their respective organizations.

### Friendships

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Friendships*
Throughout their storylines, the Protagonists will befriend characters who they can hang out with as friends.

### Dating

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Dating*
In the Fall storyline, Hinata Sato is introduced as a storyline boyfriend after the mission "Cousin from Japan" given by Iwasawa Otonashi. In the Ford storyline, Allison Edwards is introduced as a storyline girlfriend for Max Ford after the mission "Angela's Friend" given by Angela.

After the mission "Blog This, Dickhead!" given Tracey Jenkins in the Ford storyline, the Protagonists can access the Love-meet.net website where they can date various men and women.

### Activities

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Activities*
In free-roam, Haley Fall and Max Ford can perform various activities across Los Santos and Blaine County. Some of these are locations as hangouts with Friends.

### Properties

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Properties*
### Radio Stations

*Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Criminal Underworld/Radio Stations*
The expansions introduces two new Radio Stations: Memento 81.5 FM and SynthWave FM.

## Content Updates

Post-launch content updates will continue the story after the main storyline. Each content update will include at least 14 Storyline Missions as well as new Side Missions, characters and possibly song additions to Memento 81.5 FM and SynthWave FM.

There will be a total of six content updates post-launch.