The Doomsday Heist is the most elaborate and lengthy heist ever added to GTA Online. From start to finish, players can expect to invest 12 hours or more across multiple gameplay sessions to complete the full 3-act Doomsday Heist storyline.
Each act contains extensive prep work, challenging setup missions, and intense finale heists that test players‘ skills to the limits. While the potential payouts are lucrative – up to $5 million total – attempting the Doomsday Heist requires tremendous dedication and persistence. This guide will break down exactly what‘s involved so you know what you‘re getting into with GTA Online‘s biggest heist event.
Detailed Breakdown of Each Act
Let‘s take a detailed look at everything included in each act of the Doomsday Heist:
Act 1 – The Data Breaches
- 3 Prep Missions – Scope out security, steal an armored ambulance, hack into a computer network
- 3 Setup Missions – Steal nerve agent, infiltrate IAA facility, download data
- 1 Finale – Infiltrate IAA facility again to steal data
Act 2 – The Bogdan Problem
- 3 Prep Missions – Rescue agent, steal submarine blueprint, destroy rival sub
- 5 Setup Missions – Escort security, infiltrate Russian sub, steal Avon‘s submarine
- 1 Finale – Infiltrate underwater silo to steal nuclear weapon
Act 3 – The Doomsday Scenario
- 5 Prep Missions – Destroy armored convoys, hack Clifford, steal keycards
- 5 Setup Missions – Disable air defenses, destroy bunker stockpile, steal Deluxos
- 1 Finale – Storm Clifford‘s underwater base on a jetpack
As you can see, each act ramps up the stakes, objectives, and challenge level as players progress towards the epic grand finale. Based on the extensive prep and setup requirements, players can expect each act to require around 3-5 hours to complete. That puts the total time investment at 12+ hours.
Teamwork Is Highly Recommended
While the Doomsday Heist can technically be completed with just 2 players, I strongly recommend assembling a full crew of 4. The sheer number of objectives in each act makes splitting up the workload crucial.
Each additional player will reduce your individual prep/setup workload by 25%. This allows you to maximize your time spent on the intense finale heists where teamwork is even more important.
However, there is a tradeoff – each additional player will also reduce your individual payout by 25% when the totals are split at the end. But the time savings are likely worth the reduced split for most players.
Payouts Range from $325k to $1.5 Million Per Act
Successfully completing each act and finale of the Doomsday Heist will score you a massive cash payout. Here‘s the payout range for each act:
Act 1: $325,000 – $812,500
Act 2: $475,000 – $1,187,500
Act 3: $1,200,000 – $1,500,000
Based on these ranges, completing the entire Doomsday Heist on Normal difficulty will earn your team $3-4 million. On Hard difficulty, you can expect $4-5 million total.
While lucrative, keep in mind that failure at any point requires restarting prep/setup missions, wasting a lot of time. I recommend playing on Normal your first run.
Each Act Ramps up the Challenge
Don‘t underestimate the increasing difficulty as you progress through the Doomsday Heist acts. Act 1 involves breaching an IAA government facility – no easy feat.
By Act 2, you‘re infiltrating a Russian submarine to steal nuclear weapons. And the climax of Act 3 has you raiding Clifford‘s heavily fortified undersea base with military grade weapons and defenses.
This is easily the most challenging progression of heists ever included in a GTA Online update. You‘ll need to bring your A-game to each finale if you hope to survive and move on to the next act.
Be Prepared for Failure
With so much time and money invested into the Doomsday Heist, failure can be crushingly expensive. If your team fails at any point during an act, you‘ll have to re-do all the prep and setup missions again from the beginning.
This can mean hours of progress lost because of a single failed finale. My advice is to play defensively, focus on survival, and don‘t take unnecessary risks until your team has mastered each finale. Then go for elite challenge bonuses on your subsequent playthroughs.
Verdict: A Epic Challenge for Dedicated Players
In the end, the Doomsday Heist will appeal most to players who:
- Love undertaking big challenges and testing their abilities
- Enjoy complex multi-stage heist progressions
- Have a dedicated 4 person team to split the considerable workload
- Are willing to invest 12+ hours for a huge $3-5 million payday
Casual players may find the Doomsday Heist overly demanding. The prep/setup grind, long play sessions, and difficulty spikes may overwhelm those seeking quick fun.
But if you have an experienced crew and enjoy GTA Online‘s PvE elements, the Doomsday Heist offers an unparalleled heist experience that‘s thrilling from start to finish. Just make sure you set aside plenty of time in your schedule before accepting Mr. Avon‘s ominous invitation!
