The briefing
Published 2 July 2013. This archival report describes the announcement and offers of that period; temporary rewards do not remain active indefinitely.
Rockstar’s July 2013 answers explained that Michael, Franklin and Trevor have independent lives and side activities. Outside missions, players can switch between them; during missions, the available character or combination depends on the scene’s design.
That makes switching both a storytelling device and a way of changing the player’s role during action. It does not mean every protagonist participates in every mission or that free switching overrides mission restrictions. The answers also helped clarify how separate personal routines coexist with the shared heist storyline. Read this as a pre-release explanation of the system, then use the mission database for the playable characters and objectives of a specific job. It preserves the distinction between campaign structure and an individual mission’s rules.
Sources & further reading
Read the game and edition listed in the facts panel before applying gameplay advice. Story outcomes are marked as spoilers. Read our corrections policy.