The mystery of Mount Chiliad, which has been turning Grand Theft Auto 5 players into conspiracy theorists for over a decade, may have finally been solved. A newly shared theory about one of the biggest mysteries in Grand Theft Auto 5 claims to have solved the puzzle of the cryptic mural, and if correct, there’s some pretty heavy symbolism behind its meaning.
The presence of aliens in a crime-based action-adventure franchise may seem a bit offbeat, but it’s a concept that Grand Theft Auto fans have come to embrace. Achieving 100 percent completion in Grand Theft Auto 5 rewards players with a bunch of extra content, including multiple UFO sightings around Mount Chiliad. It’s not the only game in the franchise with extraterrestrial activity, either, as subsequent years have seen UFOs invading Grand Theft Auto Online during certain missions or special events, especially around Halloween.
GTA 5 Mount Chiliad Theory May Have Revealed The Mystery’s Meaning
Due to Mount Chiliad being the site of both the mysterious mural and a hub for UFO activity, most players seem to have put two and two together with an assumption that they’re somehow linked. A newly posted theory by YouTuber Gator Keys shares this perspective and admittedly borrows a lot from other existing theories, but it concludes that the flying saucers were actually manufactured by Grand Theft Auto‘s FIB, the investigative organization the game franchise uses as a parody of the FBI.
Some evidence this theory borrows from to explain the Mount Chiliad Mystery includes the presence of the three symbols at the bottom of the mural — a UFO, a jetpack, and an egg — stating that they represent the first two UFOs players can find, flying high in the air, and the player’s rise from nothing to 100 percent completion, respectively. As for the five blank boxes, they represent the five glyphs that players can find around the face of the mountain, which indicate locations and conditions for making the first two UFOs appear, such as showing up at night or during stormy weather. The final UFO’s appearance at the top of the mountain allows players to clearly see the FIB logo on its side, implying that the FIB created these machines.
The message behind the mystery, the YouTuber concludes, conveys an idea relevant to both the game and the real world, and it’s that the people in power will always control everyone below them, regardless of how hard the player works. “We can hit 100 percent all we like, we can get to the top of the mountain, but the UFO is still out of reach, because we alone are not the all-seeing eye,” he concludes. Granted, the Mount Chiliad explanation given by developer Ben Hinchcliffe in 2024 stated that there is no meaning, and it was just put there “to mess with people,” but die-hard fans may find this new theory more satisfying.
Grand Theft Auto 5
9/10
- Released
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September 17, 2013
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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Rockstar North
- Engine
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Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
