Prologue — The Leonida Job: Mission at a Glance
The Leonida Job is the opening story mission in Grand Theft Auto VI and the first time you take control of both leads, Jason and Lucia. It is given by Lucia, is set in the Leonida Keys, and rewards $5,000 plus story progress. Completing it unlocks The First Heist.
This mission doubles as a tutorial, but it never feels like a checklist — movement, cover, character swapping, and the updated wanted loop are all taught in context. Community-reported data notes one important quirk: this is one of the few missions where character swaps happen automatically at scripted beats, unlike later missions where you swap freely through the character wheel.
A few details to keep in mind before you start:
- Type: Story mission
- Given by: Lucia
- Location: Leonida Keys
- Playable characters: Jason and Lucia
- Unlocks: The First Heist
- Reward: $5,000 + story progress
One community-reported detail worth remembering is that decisions you make as one character can change small things in the other’s section — dialogue lines, patrol timing, and even optional loot. There is no single “correct” run, but the choices feed into how smoothly the other half plays out.
How to Complete the Leonida Job Step by Step
Below is the full route, broken into the three scripted phases of the mission. Follow these in order and you will cover every gold-medal condition along the way.
1. Scout the property as Lucia
Lucia’s section is a reconnaissance phase. Your objectives are to reach the lookout without raising suspicion, tag both guards and note where their patrols overlap, and signal Jason once the route inside is clear.
Stick to the shoreline path. The source material confirms this approach avoids the mid-block patrol and saves time toward the gold-medal clock, and it is also the cleanest way to stay undetected for the Ghost objective.
2. Infiltrate as Jason
Jason arrives by boat and enters from the dock side. Your target is the package in the interior office, and you need to grab it before the owners return.
The gold-medal route is the maintenance entrance on the east facade. Community reports flag that it is slower to find on a first run, but it satisfies the Silent Entry objective and lets you skip two guard encounters indoors.
3. Survive the escape
The job does not go clean. This phase introduces heat, pursuit routing, and why cover matters when you are outnumbered early in the game. The key tip is to use cover between sprint bursts rather than running in the open — that is what keeps your health bar intact for the No Scratch objective.
To clear your wanted level before reaching the safehouse, the community-recommended route is the multi-level garage off Route 1. On repeat playthroughs, additional escape corridors unlock, which is useful for speedrunners and for players hunting missable dialogue in The First Heist.
Gold Medal Objectives (Complete All in One Attempt)
The following objectives are community-documented and must all be satisfied in a single run:
- Ghost — Finish Part 1 undetected. Use the shoreline approach as Lucia.
- Silent Entry — Enter through the maintenance route on the east side of the property.
- Beat the Clock — Finish under 9:30. Skip optional dialogue.
- No Scratch — Take no health damage during the escape. Use cover between sprint bursts.
- Clean Sheet — Drop the wanted level before the safehouse. Use the multi-level garage off Route 1.
Because Ghost, Silent Entry, and No Scratch pull you in different directions (patience in Part 1, a hidden route in Part 2, and disciplined movement in Part 3), it helps to plan the whole run before you start rather than improvising.
Collectibles and References in the Leonida Job
The mission hides four optional pickups and nods. These locations are community-reported and may be patched or adjusted over time, so treat them as a starting point rather than gospel:
- Playing card — behind the southern dock barrels.
- Letter scrap — under the office desk inside the target building.
- Stash box — a short dive east of the dock (bolt cutters required).
- Radio bit — the safehouse radio can play a nod to GTA V’s North Yankton opening.
If you are the completionist type, grab the letter scrap while you are already inside the office, and sweep the dock barrels on your way out — both sit directly on the natural route.
Where the Prologue Fits in the Wider Story
The Leonida Job sets the narrative stakes for the rest of the game and establishes Jason and Lucia as the playable leads, so it is also the first place many players start mapping out the cast. If you are tracking recurring crime bosses, rival crews, and the series’ broader rogues’ gallery, a grand theft auto villains wiki is a handy companion reference to pair with this walkthrough — though note that the prologue itself focuses on setup rather than introducing a named antagonist.
Quick Tips Before You Start
- Plan the whole run first. The gold objectives conflict slightly, so decide your route before Part 1 begins.
- Watch the clock. Sub-9:30 means skipping optional dialogue — resist the urge to listen to every line on a medal run.
- Respect cover in Part 3. Early-game firefights punish open sprinting; move cover to cover.
- Remember the auto-swap. You do not control the character swaps here — they are scripted, so learn the beats rather than fighting them.
- Replay for the extras. Extra escape corridors and missable dialogue only appear on repeat playthroughs, so a second run is worth it.
A note on accuracy: All mission specifics above come from community-reported sources, not official Rockstar documentation. Rewards, timings, and collectible locations can change with patches — verify in-game where it matters.