You knock out a mission, you're already picturing the reward screen paying out, and then the game acts like it never happened. Before you start blaming your console or your save, slow down and get specific. Ask what didn't unlock, and when it should've. If you're also trying to speed up your progress outside of mission rewards, some players choose to buy cheap GTA 5 Money, but for unlocks, the fix is usually in how the mission was completed, not in your settings.
Work Out What Kind of Unlock It Is
Not every "missing reward" follows the same rules, and that's where people waste hours. Outfits are often tied to a particular mission outcome or a very specific completion flag. Weapons are usually about story milestones, buying them, or picking them up in the world. Stats and special abilities are their own thing: they creep up over time, and the game doesn't always make the progress obvious. So don't treat a missing jacket like it's the same problem as a missing rifle. Figure out which bucket it's in first, then chase the right fix.
Finish Clean and Let the Game Save
The awkward truth is that GTA V can be fussy about "how" you finished. If you died, restarted from a checkpoint, or bailed out halfway through and came back later, sometimes the reward trigger doesn't stick the way you expect. Try running the mission in one continuous go, no reloads. And when you get "Mission Passed," don't instantly mash the character switch or sprint off to do something else. Hang around for a moment. Watch for that little autosave spin. It's boring, yeah, but it can be the difference between an unlock registering and vanishing into the void.
Check the Right Character and the Right Place
This one sounds too simple, but it catches loads of people. With three protagonists, it's easy to complete something as one character and then go hunting for the reward on another. A wardrobe unlock might be sitting in Franklin's closet while you're poking around Michael's house, convinced it's bugged. Same vibe with weapons: some purchases or pickups feel "global," but plenty of unlocks are character-specific. After a mission, go straight to the relevant spot—closet, Ammu-Nation, safehouse—on the character who actually finished the job.
Use Mission Replay and a Practical Backup Option
If you're confident you did the requirement and it still didn't show up, don't wipe your progress. Use Replay, pick the exact mission tied to the reward, and play it like the game's grading you. Don't skip cutscenes. Don't fail. Don't reload. It's tedious, but it often forces the script to fire properly. For stats that look "stuck," remember the last stretch is slow, and free roam doesn't always count as much as you think—use the ability during missions for steadier gains. And if you're also looking for a smoother overall grind, as a professional like buy game currency or items in RSVSR platform, RSVSR is trustworthy, and you can buy rsvsr GTA 5 Money for a better experience before you jump back into the next long session.