GTA IV Endings Explained, Deal or Revenge

GTA IV has two endings, and you pick one in the mission One Last Thing. Take the Deal and Roman dies at his own wedding; choose Revenge and Kate dies instead. Either way Niko loses someone he loves, and the story closes with a last chase to Happiness Island. Here is how each path plays out, what changes once the credits roll, and which one to choose first.

The Choice: One Last Thing

Late in the story, once Niko has finally faced Darko Brevic, Jimmy Pegorino asks him for one more favour: close a heroin deal with Dimitri Rascalov, the man who betrayed Niko and Roman earlier in the game. Two voices pull him in opposite directions. Roman wants the money and tells him to take the deal. Kate begs him to keep his principles and turn Dimitri down.

There is no third option and no going back once you choose. The game never spells it out, but the rule is as cruel as it is simple: the person whose advice Niko follows is the one who dies.

The Deal Ending: Roman Pays the Price

Niko swallows his pride and works with Dimitri. In If the Price is Right, he and Phil Bell head to Port Tudor for the exchange. Dimitri double-crosses everyone and keeps the heroin, but Niko and Phil get away with the money, and the mission pays $250,000.

Then comes Mr. and Mrs. Bellic. Kate refuses to come to Roman's wedding, and outside the church a hitman sent by Dimitri opens fire. The bullets are meant for Niko. They hit Roman.

Little Jacob gives you the last mission, A Revenger's Tragedy. Dimitri has turned on Jimmy Pegorino and killed him; Niko chases Dimitri across the city to Happiness Island and ends it there. By the credits, Roman, Pegorino and Dimitri are all dead.

The Revenge Ending: Kate Pays the Price

Niko refuses. In A Dish Served Cold he goes after Dimitri aboard the Platypus, the cargo ship in Broker that brought him to Liberty City at the start of the game, and kills him.

This time Kate is at Niko's side for Roman's wedding. As the guests come out of the church, Jimmy Pegorino, furious that his deal fell through, drives past and shoots. Kate is killed.

The final mission, Out of Commission, is again given by Little Jacob, with Roman riding along. Niko tracks Pegorino down to Happiness Island and kills him. The mission pays $250,000. Kate, Dimitri and Pegorino are dead; Roman lives.

What Changes After the Credits

Both endings drop you back into free roam with the whole of Liberty City open, and both close on the same glimmer of hope: Mallorie tells Niko she is pregnant. After Revenge, Roman adds that if the baby is a girl, she will be called Kate.

After Deal, the loss is practical as well as emotional. Roman is gone, and with him his taxi rides and the outings he used to suggest. Kate is no longer available either: she calls Niko, tells him she is leaving, and sends a farewell email. After Revenge, Roman stays in your phone for the rest of the game. Little Jacob is there whatever you chose.

Achievements and Trophies

Either final mission unlocks You Won!, worth 60 Gamerscore on Xbox and a silver trophy on PlayStation, for completing Out of Commission or A Revenger's Tragedy. No achievement asks for both endings, so you never have to replay the choice to complete your list. Two others are worth keeping in mind on the way: Liberty City Minute, for finishing the story in under 30 hours, and Key to the City, for reaching 100%.

Which Ending Should You Pick First?

If you care about the characters, start with Revenge. Niko spends the whole game trying to escape the man he was in the war, and refusing Dimitri's money is the one choice that fits that arc. You lose Kate, but you keep Roman, who has been the heart of the story since the first cutscene, and the city still feels like home afterwards.

Deal is the darker and more tragic story. Niko compromises one last time for money, and it costs him the only family he has. It is worth seeing, but it is a harder world to keep playing in once Roman is gone.

Rockstar has never said which ending is canon, and no later game settles it. Years later, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser admitted that he would have liked to end GTA IV by killing Niko himself, an idea that never made it into the game.

Both Endings at a Glance