GTA 5 protagonist Michael could be coming to GTA Online

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A datamine and suspicious NPC might be hinting at the return of the GTA 5 character

Trevor, Michael, and Franklin in GTA 5
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Update: The actor behind GTA 5 protagonist Michael is now cryptically quote-tweeting reports about him potentially being added to GTA Online, further fueling speculation. 

GTA 5 Michael actor Ned Luke responded to VG247's original report with a sly "shrug" emoji, which of course doesn't confirm anything, but definitely comes off as a tease. It sounds like an announcement from Rockstar could be imminent - either that or Luke is just messing with everyone.

Original story:

GTA 5 protagonist Michael could be making his way to GTA Online.

As reported by VG247, a strange new NPC has been added to GTA Online, which, when added to the information uncovered in a recent datamine, suggests that something movie-related, possibly including GTA 5's Michael, could be on the cards for the mega-popular multiplayer game.

According to a tweet by Tez2, a well-known source for updates regarding GTA Online, data miner rollschuh2282 recently discovered a new scenario spawn point in GTA Online. This spawn point, found in the PS5 and Xbox Series X game files, is located in front of Record A studios and has "movie_set" as the assigned pedestrian model set. 

This, combined with the recent Vespucci Job Remix, which made reference to movies, adds to the possibility that Rockstar is planning some sort of future content related to film. And given his ties to the movie business, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that the upcoming content could include GTA 5 protagonist Michael.

Tez2 followed up their tweet shortly after with another saying that "You can find the NPC assigned to the "Movie_Set" scenario between 7 to 11 AM in-game." We don't yet know exactly what all this means, and until we get official word from Rockstar, we can only speculate, but here's hoping that Michael does make an appearance in some form in GTA Online. 

Following a plea from LGBTQ+ worker organization OutMakingGames last year, Rockstar has apparently removed transphobic content from the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of GTA 5.

Keep your life of crime from getting stale with our pick of the best GTA 5 mods to mess around with on PC right now. 

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.