How do gta v story mode and gta online connect?

Grand Theft Auto V offers two distinct modes of play: the offline story mode and the online multiplayer mode. Both are built on the same open‑world environment of Los Santos and Blaine County, and they use the same core assets such as vehicles, weapons, and locations. In story mode the player follows the narrative arcs of the three protagonists, while in GTA Online the player creates a custom avatar and engages in cooperative or competitive missions. Progress made in story mode—such as unlocking new weapons or vehicles—can give the player access to certain items in GTA Online, but the two modes maintain separate progress systems: completing story missions does not influence the player’s rank or cash in Online, and vice versa. Players can freely switch between the modes after the initial launch of the game, but starting a new story mode campaign will reset any Online progress that was recorded on that specific copy of the game.