GTA Online Just Confirmed What We All Suspected About GTA 5's Ending

New "GTA Online" DLC launched Dec. 15, 2021, and so far, "The Contract" update has more than delivered for fans, confirming something they've been suspecting for years. It's been a long time coming for the latest bit of "GTA Online" content, as Rockstar promised to add story content to "GTA 5" eight years before the release of "The Contract." Fans have been excited to get back into the stories of Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis, but what they didn't expect was confirmation of a long-standing suspicion about the ending of "GTA 5."

Beware of spoilers ahead for the story of "Grand Theft Auto 5."

To keep players on their toes (and in their heads untangling theories), "GTA 5" had three unique endings. Out of all the available paths, fans previously found convincing evidence that Ending C is the real deal, thanks to a reference to its events in 2019's "Diamond Casino and Resort" update. In the ending in question, all three protagonists win their final battle as a team, whereas Endings A and B leave either Trevor or Michael dead, respectively. So, how does "The Contract" corroborate the theory that Ending C is canon? Well, it proves that Trevor and Michael are both still alive, which automatically points to Ending C.

"GTA Online" fans have been paying close attention to the details in "The Contract" update. As one 15-second clip proves, Michael is still alive. At one point, Franklin and the player find themselves in a golf cart chase on a movie studio backlot, which prompts Franklin to mention that he "know[s] one of the producers around here," adding that "I hope his a** ain't at work today." Michael became a film producer in the final stretch of "Grand Theft Auto 5," and unless Franklin met another producer at that exact same studio, this subtle reference finally gave fans a canonical ending. Since a prior reference in the 2017 "Smuggler's Run" update confirmed that Trevor was alive, this fully locks in Ending C as the real deal. 

Of course, the Ending C confirmation isn't the biggest news "GTA" fans could get – that would be a "GTA 6" announcement – but "The Contract" update is still significant for adding new content to the main series storyline. While there's no official news on the next full game in the series (other than a healthy dose of rumors and leaks), this surprisingly satisfying plot development for "GTA 5" could be considered a baby step towards what fans want most.