GTA 4 Multiplayer Guide, Modes & Ranks (GTA IV, TLaD & TBoGT)

The online multiplayer feature in Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City has been vastly expanded compared to prior GTA titles, with a total of 15 game modes - ranging from competitive gameplay to co-op challenges and free roam.

The game supports up to 16 players on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and 32 players on PC. Online play and leaderboards were discontinued in the PC Complete Edition (as of March 19, 2020) due to Microsoft ending support for GFWL, though unpatched versions still retain multiplayer functionality.

GTA IV: Accessing Multiplayer

Players can access multiplayer by opening the in-game cell phone and selecting "Multiplayer". This opens six main options:

• Games: Join or host matches via Quick Match or Custom Match.
• Party Mode: Gather friends in a private session before entering a mode.
• Invites: Manage invitations.
• Player Model: Customize character appearance.
• Preferences: Set auto-aim, police presence, and friendly fire.
• Tutorial: Learn the basics of multiplayer functions.

A game mode can be started either as a "Player Match" - a casual mode where players don't earn money and achievements - or as "Ranked Match" - which contributes to the player's overall money and rank progression.

Note: Most of the game modes are only available in the multiplayer of the main Grand Theft Auto IV game. The Lost and Damned comes with 5 unique modes, while The Ballad of Gay Tony offers more limited options.

Game Modes: Free Roam Modes

Free Mode (2-16 Players)

Free Mode allows players to explore Liberty City without restrictions. It functions like the single-player world, but with no rules, objectives, or time limits. Players can cause chaos, fight, or simply drive around. It's a sandbox experience for casual fun and experimentation with other players. 

Weapons pick-ups are available across the whole map, along with health packs and body armor. The host can customize options such as Friendly Fire, Police presence, pedestrians, weather, time of day, etc. Progress and money are not earned in Free Mode.

Party Mode (2-8 Players)

Party Mode is a private, invite-only version of Free Mode, letting friends gather before starting other multiplayer modes. All players spawn in the same location - the Alderney Casino - with available first-aid kits, armor, weapons, and vehicles.

The police are absent in this mode, making it ideal for setup or freeform social play. Progress and money are not earned in Party Mode..

Game Modes: Competitive Modes

Deathmatch (2-16 Players)

A no-rules, free-for-all combat mode. Players fight each other across various confined zones of Liberty City, keeping the action intense. The host can choose the location and enable or disable the police. The player with the most cash at the end of the round wins, with cash earned by killing opponents and looting corpses.

Reward: $100 per kill

Mafiya Work (2-8 Players)

Players work for Kenny Petrovic, receiving missions via cellphone. Tasks vary (assassinate targets, deliver vehicles, or pick up recruits) and all are time-limited. Compete against rival players trying to complete the same objectives. The player who earns the most money from completed missions wins.

Reward: $250-$750 per completed task

Car Jack City (4-16 Players)

Petrovic orders players to steal and deliver specific vehicles scattered throughout Liberty City. Cars in better condition earn more cash unless they contain drugs, in which case condition doesn't matter. Police may interfere depending on host settings. Players can sabotage others by destroying their cars. Health pickups do not repair vehicles, so careful driving is key.

Races (2-16 Players)

Players compete to pass all checkpoints and reach the finish line first. The host can choose the race track, the vehicle type (cars, bikes, boats, or helicopters), the race type, and the number of laps. Two race types exist:

• Free Race: A standard point-to-point race; first to finish wins.
• Cannonball Run: A race with multiple checkpoints that can be reached by any route, encouraging creative navigation across the city.

Note: In The Lost and Damned bike races, players are equipped with a baseball bat that allows them to hit other players to push them off track.

GTA Races (2-16 Players)

Similar to standard racing, but with combat. Players can pick up weapons scattered along the track to destroy opponents or their vehicles. Participants can exit their vehicles mid-race.

Unlike the standard race, the player will also receive money for every kill they make.

TLAD: Lone Wolf Biker (2-16 Players)

One player starts as the lone wolf and the rest are all out to get him. The player who kills the lone wolf biker then becomes the target. Whoever survives the longest wins the game. The lone wolf player must pass through checkpoints to continue accumulating time, so finding a good hiding place won't help.

TLAD: Chopper vs Chopper (2 Players)

A bike against a gunship may not sound like a fair fight but that's the game. The biker must reach a series of checkpoints while the other player tries to stop them at all costs. The helicopter is an upgraded Annihilator armed with explosive ammo, although shooting isn't always necessary: add rotor blades on a near-indestructible helicopter to a very exposed biker and things get messy. When the biker dies, the players swap places and at the end of the game, the player who reached the most checkpoints wins.

Reward: $500 per checkpoint

Game Modes: Team Competitive Modes

Team Deathmatch (2-16 Players, up to 8 Teams)

Teams compete to earn the most money through kills. Each player earns cash individually, and the team's total determines the winner. Police and NOOSE units can appear depending on settings. Strategy, coordination, and weapon management are key to victory.

Reward: $100 per kill

Team Mafiya Work (2-16 Players, up to 8 Teams)

Similar to regular Mafiya Work, but with team-based objectives. Crews carry out Kenny Petrovic's missions, such as stealing cars or eliminating targets, while racing against rival teams doing the same. Successful contracts yield cash for the crew, and the team with the most money when time expires wins.

Reward: $250-$750 per completed task

Team Car Jack City (2-16 Players, up to 8 Teams)

A team variant of Car Jack City. Vehicles appear around the map and must be retrieved and delivered to drop-off points. The condition of the vehicle determines payout unless it contains drugs. All cash is shared equally among teammates, rewarding coordination over individual greed.

Cops 'n' Crooks (4-16 Players, 2 Teams)

A classic asymmetric mode featuring two teams: Cops and Crooks. Crooks must escort their Boss to a getaway vehicle, while Cops aim to eliminate him before he escapes. The Boss is marked on the map, making protection crucial.

• All for One: One Boss must be protected by Crooks until he reaches the getaway car. Cops win if they kill him; Crooks win if he escapes.
• One for All: No designated Boss. Crooks must fill a getaway car with four members or eliminate all Cops. Cops win by killing all Crooks or destroying the getaway vehicle. Players cannot respawn in this mode.

Turf War (4-16 Players, 2 Teams)

Teams fight for control over various zones throughout Liberty City. Standing in a zone captures it, and more players speed up the capture process. The more zones a team controls, the faster their cash meter increases. A team cannot capture a zone occupied by enemies. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

TLAD: Witness Protection (4-16 Players, 2 Teams)

Witnesses need to be delivered to three different police stations around Liberty City. One team plays as N.O.O.S.E. and escorts the prison bus. The other team is the Lost MC, who need the witnesses to 'disappear'. The Lost team must kill the witnesses to win the game. If the witnesses survive, the N.O.O.S.E. team wins.

Reward: $500 per witness

TLAD: Own The City (4-16 Players, 2 Teams)

The two teams - the Lost and the Angels of Death - are battling for control of various territories in the city. In contrast to the Turf War mode of standard GTA IV, territories are considerably larger and now contain AI defenders to help fight off attackers. To take over a territory, you need to kill all the defenders and any bikers of the opposing gang still in the area.

Game Modes: Co-op Modes

Deal Breaker (2-4 Players)

Players must interrupt a drug deal between the Angels of Death and a Mafia family in Acter Industrial Park. The objective: eliminate both parties, collect drugs, and regroup at the rendezvous point. Enemies may escape by bike or boat. Respawns are limited )5 on Easy, 4 on Medium, and 3 on Hard).

Reward: $4,500

Hangman's NOOSE (2-4 Players)

Kenny Petrovic has arrived illegally at Francis International Airport, and NOOSE units are on his trail. Players must escort Petrovic to safety through waves of police resistance. Respawns are limited (5 on Easy, 4 on Medium, 3 on Hard).

Reward: $4,500 (Hard); $3,500 (Medium); $2,500 (Easy)

Bomb Da Base II (2-4 Players)

Players infiltrate a ship, the Platypus, used by the Albanian Mafia for exporting stolen cars. The objective is to destroy the vessel by planting explosives while fending off heavy resistance. The same respawn limits apply, but players still receive cash rewards even if they die before completion.

Reward: $4,500

TLAD: Club Business (2-8 Players)

In the only cooperative mode in The Lost and Damned, players assume the role of Lost MC members and take on odd jobs for the club, given by Angus via your phone. This closely resembles Team Mafiya Work from the original GTA IV multiplayer with the Lost MC as the only team. The player with the most money becomes the Ride Captain, adding a competitive aspect to the game.

Reward: $500 per completed task

Customization & Preferences

Player Model

Players can customize the look of their male and female avatars. By achieving higher Ranks, new clothing options and accessories will be unlocked.

The character model is not shared between GTA IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony, with each game having unique outfit customization.

Note: Some game modes automatically assign team-specific player models (e.g., police or gang members).

Preferences

These are options that the player can change, and influence which types of games they join. These options are not available on PC.

• Auto-Aim: Allows aiming assistance during combat.
• Police: Enables wanted levels and law enforcement pursuit.
• Friendly Fire: Determines whether players can harm each other.

Game Mode Options

The following are the options that the host of the game can customize when creating a Custom Match:

• Location
• Duration
• Weapon Types (eg. Weak / Standard / Powerful)
• Traffic (Parked / Low / Medium / High)
• Pedestrians (Off / Low / Medium / High)
• Blips
• Online ID (On/Off)
• Reticule Health (On/Off)
• Voice Chat (On/Off)
• Respawn Distance (Near/Medium/Far)
• Respawn Time
• Time of Day
• Weather

GTA IV Multiplayer: Ranks & Unlocks

Multiplayer ranks progress from Rank 0 to Rank 10 based on total money earned in Ranked Matches. Monetary rewards are given for completing or winning the various game modes, plus each kill rewards the player with $100.

Money has no real purpose in the game other than determining the player's rank. Each rank unlocks additional customization options for the player's character model.

Money and Rank progression are shared across GTA IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony.

Below you find a list of all the Ranks in GTA IV Multiplayer, the money required to achieve them, and the items unlocked at each rank:

GTA IV Multiplayer: Achievements / Trophies

The following is a list of Achievements and Trophies tied to the Online Multiplayer of Grand Theft Auto IV:

• Teamplayer: Kill 5 opposing team members.
• Cut Your Teeth: Earn a rank promotion.
• Join the Midnight Club: Win a race with minimal vehicle damage.
• Fly The Co-Op: Complete co-op missions within set times
  • Complete Deal Breaker in under 7:04
  • Hangman's Noose in under 2:32
  • Bomb Da Base II in under 5:56
• Taking It For The Team: Win in all ranked team game modes.
• Top The Midnight Club: Win 20 races on unique tracks.
• Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic: Win every multiplayer mode and both Cops ’n’ Crooks sides.
• Top of the Food Chain: Kill 20 players with a pistol in Deathmatch.
• Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie: Kill a Rockstar developer or someone who has this achievement.
  • This rewards you with a special Zombie outfit for your player model.
• Wanted: Reach rank 10 in multiplayer.

GTA IV Multiplayer: Video Guide