GTA 5 Fans May Have Finally Cracked the Mount Chiliad Mystery After 12 Years

For more than a decade, Grand Theft Auto 5 players have been obsessed with the strange mural on Mount Chiliad, sparking countless theories and conspiracy hunts across Los Santos. Now, after 12 years of speculation, a new theory has surfaced that might finally explain the cryptic puzzle — and if it’s true, the meaning behind it could be far deeper than fans expected.

The mystery has always revolved around the presence of UFOs and other strange symbols scattered around the mountain. Reaching 100% completion in GTA 5 unlocks a series of UFO sightings, fueling the long-standing belief that the mural was connected to extraterrestrial activity. GTA Online only added more fuel to the fire, regularly featuring alien encounters and UFOs during seasonal events, especially around Halloween.

According to a new theory by YouTuber Gator Keys, the UFOs that players discover aren’t alien-made at all — but are actually machines created by the game’s parody agency, the FIB (a stand-in for the FBI). The idea suggests the cryptic Mount Chiliad mural was designed to hint at government control, using alien imagery as a metaphor.

The theory connects the mural’s three key symbols — a UFO, a jetpack, and an egg — to different stages of the player’s journey, from early UFO sightings to full game completion. Meanwhile, the five empty boxes on the mural are believed to represent the five glyphs scattered across the mountain, which dictate conditions for triggering UFO appearances, such as stormy weather or late-night visits. When the final UFO appears at the mountain’s peak, the FIB logo can be spotted, pointing to the agency as the mastermind behind the mystery.

The message, Gator Keys argues, is that no matter how much progress players make, the true power lies above them — a commentary on both the game’s world and reality itself. “We can grind to 100 percent, climb to the top, but the UFO will always be beyond our reach, because we’re not the all-seeing eye,” he explains.

Interestingly, Rockstar developer Ben Hinchcliffe previously claimed in 2024 that the mural was created with no real meaning, simply “to mess with people.” Still, for many fans, this new interpretation feels more satisfying than the idea that the mystery was just a prank.