The Exchange is the final mission of GTA III: Claude hands over $500,000 to free Maria, and Catalina tries to betray him one last time. This walkthrough of the GTA 3 final mission explains how to unlock it, how to survive the ambush at the Cartel mansion, how to reach Catalina at Cochrane Dam and how to bring down her helicopter.
Key facts
- Location: the Colombian Cartel mansion in Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale, then Cochrane Dam.
- Unlocked by: Ransom.
- Cost: $500,000 for the ransom.
- Target: Catalina.
- Fails if: Claude dies or is busted, Maria dies, or Catalina escapes.
- Reward: $1,000,000 and a Rhino at Phil’s Army Surplus.
How to unlock the GTA 3 final mission
The Exchange follows Ransom, in which Catalina kidnaps Maria and demands $500,000. You need that amount in cash to start the mission, so do some side jobs, Rampages or vehicle exports first if you are short.
Your weapons are taken from you at the start, so the real preparation is health: arrive at full health and know where the armour pickup in the mansion’s garage is.
Who is Catalina?
Catalina is the reason Claude is in Liberty City’s underworld at all. In the game’s opening, she and Claude rob a bank together, and she shoots him and leaves him for dead during the getaway before joining the Colombian Cartel. The Exchange is the payoff for that betrayal: by the time she kidnaps Maria, Claude has worked his way through the Mafia, the Yakuza and the Cartel to reach her. Players later meet a younger Catalina in GTA San Andreas, set in 1992.
The Exchange walkthrough
1. Hand over the money
Drive to the Cartel mansion in Cedar Grove. The gangsters at the gate take the $500,000, search Claude and confiscate his weapons. Inside, Catalina mocks him, checks the money and orders her men to kill him before leaving with Maria.
2. Survive the ambush
Claude knocks out the guard and takes his gun. Every Cartel member on the property opens fire, so run straight for the garage, where you will find body armour and a Cartel Cruiser. Use the car as cover and drive out through the gate.
3. Follow the helicopter to Cochrane Dam
Catalina flies off in a white helicopter. Follow it across Shoreside Vale to Cochrane Dam. Expect more Cartel gunmen along the dam: drive carefully, because losing too much health here makes the last part much harder.
4. Rescue Maria and destroy the chopper
Catalina drops Maria and a few guards at the dam’s loading bay and takes off again, firing missiles at the ground. Fight your way past the checkpoints to Maria, then climb to the rooftop on the dam where a Rocket Launcher is waiting, and shoot the chopper down before it gets away. Destroying it completes the mission and ends the game.
The ending and rewards
With Catalina dead, Claude and Maria walk away from the dam. The screen goes black as Maria complains all the way back to the city, followed by a gunshot, leaving it famously ambiguous whether Claude silenced her. You receive $1,000,000 and a Rhino tank spawns at Phil’s Army Surplus. On the Definitive Edition, the mission also unlocks the “Not So Fast” achievement.
Tips to beat The Exchange
- Do not stop in the courtyard. Sprint for the garage, take the armour, and leave in the Cartel Cruiser.
- Keep the car as long as possible on the way to the dam; it absorbs a lot of gunfire.
- Head for the rooftop rocket launcher as soon as Maria is safe: Catalina escapes if you waste time.
- Need help? Health and armour cheats work in single-player. See all GTA 3 cheat codes.
Video walkthrough
Prefer to watch? This video shows it in action.
FAQ
What is the last mission in GTA 3?
The last mission is The Exchange. Claude pays Catalina $500,000 to free Maria, survives an ambush and kills Catalina at Cochrane Dam.
How much money do you need for the final mission of GTA 3?
You need $500,000 for the ransom. Completing the mission pays you back $1,000,000.
How do you shoot down Catalina’s helicopter?
Pick up the Rocket Launcher on a rooftop on Cochrane Dam and fire at the helicopter before it escapes.
Does Claude kill Maria at the end of GTA 3?
It is never shown. The ending cuts to black while Maria talks, followed by a gunshot, and Rockstar has left it open to interpretation.
What do you get for finishing GTA 3?
$1,000,000 and a Rhino tank at Phil’s Army Surplus.
