GTA London Missions Explained: Red Phone Boxes and Jobs
GTA London reuses the original Grand Theft Auto’s job system, just with red phone boxes instead of American payphones. There are more than 30 missions spread across the London 1969 and London 1961 expansion packs, and like the first game, you won’t find a mission list anywhere in the menus. Here’s how the system works and how to make the most of it.
Key facts
- Two expansions: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, and its own expansion, Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (which requires the original GTA disc to run).
- 30+ missions added across London 1969 alone.
- Jobs come from: red telephone boxes, walkie-talkies, a “telegram pager”, or getting into certain vehicles.
- Structure: you work for increasingly powerful London crime bosses as you progress.
- Setting: 1960s London, with period-accurate weapons and HUD icons shared by both expansions.
How GTA London’s mission system works
London 1969 keeps the job system from the original Grand Theft Auto almost unchanged: missions are usually triggered by walking up to a ringing red telephone box, though some instead arrive over a walkie-talkie or a “telegram pager”, and others start the moment you get into a specific vehicle. As in GTA 1, there’s no in-game mission list — you take what the city gives you.
The story structure is what sets London apart. After you pick a protagonist from a small group of playable characters, you work your way up through a series of London crime bosses, taking on bigger jobs as each one starts to trust you. London 1961 acts as a prequel to 1969 and features mostly the same cast, reusing the same weapons, HUD icons and mission style.
Weapons and the police in GTA London
You get the same core arsenal as the original GTA, re-skinned for the era: a fist (which can’t kill but stuns for a few seconds), a slow but one-shot-kill pistol found near hospitals and police stations, a rapid-fire machine gun used by police once your wanted level hits four, a vehicle-destroying rocket launcher, and a rare flamethrower that’s especially effective against groups. As with GTA 1, the wanted level is shown as police heads at the top of the screen, and the higher it climbs, the harder the police come after you.
Tips for GTA London missions
- Check every red phone box you pass — since there’s no mission log, the only way to find work is to physically walk up to one while it’s ringing.
- Don’t ignore car-triggered jobs. Getting into the “right” parked vehicle can start a mission on the spot, separate from whatever the phones are offering.
- Keep your wanted level low before taking a job that needs concentration — four stars brings machine-gun-armed officers into the chase.
- Play London 1969 before London 1961 if you want the story in order, since 1961 is a prequel built on the same engine and cast.
- Use the fist sparingly. It can’t kill, only stun for a few seconds, so it’s better for clearing a path than for finishing a fight — switch to the pistol once an enemy is down.
- Keep spare ammo in mind. The machine gun, rocket launcher and flamethrower are all rare finds, so save them for missions that clearly call for heavy firepower rather than burning through them on random pedestrians.
- Looking for cheat codes instead? See our full list of GTA cheat codes for every game.
FAQ
How many missions are in GTA London?
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 adds more than 30 missions on top of the base game’s structure; London 1961 adds its own set using the same system.
How do you start missions in GTA London?
Most come from red telephone boxes, but some are given over a walkie-talkie or a “telegram pager”, and others start when you enter a specific vehicle.
Do you need the original GTA to play London 1961?
Yes. London 1961 is an expansion pack for London 1969, which is itself an expansion for the original Grand Theft Auto disc.
Is there a mission list in GTA London?
No. As in the original GTA, there is no in-game mission log — you take jobs as phones, radios and vehicles offer them.
What weapons are in GTA London?
A fist, a pistol, a machine gun, a rocket launcher and a flamethrower, all restyled for the 1960s setting and shared between both expansions.
