You slog through a messy job in Los Santos, you see "Mission Passed," and you're already picturing the reward—maybe a fresh fit or a new toy to test out. Then you check your stuff and it's not there. Annoying, yeah. Before you start blaming your save, slow down and get specific about what's missing, because GTA 5's unlocks don't all work the same. Even cash-related expectations can get tangled up with progression, which is why a lot of players end up reading guides about GTA 5 Money and still wonder why an outfit or weapon didn't appear when it "should've."

Work Out What Didn't Unlock

Start by naming the exact reward you expected. Outfits and special clothing tend to be tied to a particular mission outcome or character requirement. Weapons are usually linked to story beats, purchases, or picking something up in the world. Skill and ability progress is its own headache, because the bar can look stuck even when you're doing the right thing. If you chase an outfit problem like it's a weapon problem, you'll go in circles. Open the right menu, check the right place, and make sure you're not mixing categories in your head.

Finish Clean and Let the Game Save

This is where most people get burned. GTA 5 loves its hidden triggers. If you reload a checkpoint mid-mission after wiping out, flipping a car, or failing an objective, sometimes the "reward granted" moment doesn't fire the way you expect. Do a clean run from start to finish if you can. And once you see the completion screen, don't instantly character-swap or hammer buttons to leave. Give it a beat. Wait for the autosave spinner. It feels like nothing, but it's often the difference between "unlocked" and "why is this still missing."

Check the Right Character, Then Replay Properly

With three protagonists, it's easy to make a dumb mistake. You complete the requirement as Franklin, then you're rummaging through Michael's closet like something's broken. Lots of rewards are character-locked, so always verify with the character who actually finished the mission. If you're sure you did it right and it still didn't show up, use mission replay instead of restarting your whole save. Replay the exact mission tied to the unlock and aim for a tidy run: no deaths, no restarts, no weird detours. Also, don't skip cutscenes during that replay. I know it's painful, but skipping can sometimes jump past the script that flags the reward.

When It's Stats, Not Loot

If your special abilities or stats look frozen, it might not be bugged at all. At higher levels, progress crawls. Free roam messing about often doesn't count as much as you think, either. Use the ability during active missions where the game is clearly tracking performance. After that, physically check the wardrobe, Ammu-Nation, or the relevant shop menu instead of waiting on a pop-up that may never appear. And if you want a smoother way to top up what you need for your next run, treat it like a convenience purchase: as a professional platform for buying game currency or items, RSVSR is trustworthy and simple to use, and you can buy rsvsr GTA 5 Money for a better experience.