Aside from Grand Theft Auto 5's now-iconic three protagonist approach, one of its most defining features were the variety of heists players found themselves preparing, executing, and playing. Basically, all of GTA 5's heists were the cream of the crop, but as with all game development, some did not make it into the main game.
One piece of cut content was known as the Sharmoota Job, and while nothing official is known, it seems likely it was cut due to story changes. The events of the Sharmoota Job imply that certain story elements would have gone differently, and Grand Theft Auto 5 players would have found themselves in the midst of an interesting heist.
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First, it's worth knowing what actually made it into the game. During Grand Theft Auto 5, Michael will catch his wife cheating on him with her yoga instructor, and in turn, Michael and Franklin will try to chase him down, ripping the balcony off a mansion in the pursuit. This piece of expensive real estate, however, wasn't owned by the yoga instructor, but instead by head of the Mexican-American drug cartel Martin Madrazo in GTA 5. He, in retaliation, puts a hit out on Michael, but the two are able to resolve their differences when Michael pays Martin for the damage done. Later on, Martin will call on Michael for another job and he will visit their ranch estate, wherein Trevor will kidnap Martin's wife Patricia, fall in love with her, and lead the player into another series of unfortunate events.
What would've happened, if this Heist had made it in-game, is Trevor and Michael robbing Martin's ranch. For unexplained reasons, they were after Martin's safe and prized, and unintentionally, they end up kidnapping his wife still too. It stands to reason that he would have still fallen in love with her, but it's clear this job was made early in Grand Theft Auto 5's development.
The dialogue associated with it, for example, calls Michael "Albert" and indicates it would have taken place after his wife leaves him. Interestingly enough, the in-game Grand Theft Auto 5 mission will actually reference the Sharmoota Job, talking about Martin's house and robbing it, while some of the code for the house still appears in game. Players have utilized a variety of glitches to actually see into the Ranch House, which isn't normally possible, and so it's clear how much the main story and the story involving this heist diverged.
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Why players decided to case and rob Martin in this cut mission is unclear, but as such, it's unlikely that Michael and Trevor would have worked with him as closely as they did in the main Grand Theft Auto 5 story. For the Sharmoota heist, players would have had to steal a safe, Martin's prized race hose, and unintentionally, his wife via three different potential avenues following some prep work:
- Preparation – As Martin's ranch was on the market, Michael and Trevor—the only two involve in this mission—would attend a viewing to case the place. Players would have, likely, then chosen one of the three approaches and hired the required people. What exactly would be needed is unknown, but the Night Stealth mission includes a reference to a Hacker and it stands to reason the High Impact method would have called for additional hired guns.
- Night Stealth – Players would have entered the house at night with the aid of the hacker, but as Patricia is disturbed during it, GTA 5's Trevor inadvertently ends up kidnapping her, as he and Michael steal a safe from the wall and the horse.
- High Impact – Players, using mime artist disguises, enter the house during a party and take the guests hostage. Martin's guards will then appear, leading to a major gun fight. Despite this, Michael and Trevor get away with the safe, the horse, and Patricia as a hostage. At some point, there would have been another fight with the Mexican cartel too.
- Clown Day Stealth – Instead of mimes, Michael and Trevor arrive at the party as clowns. They are able to stealthily steal the safe and, using party tricks, gain access to the stables. They make a clean getaway with the horse, safe, and Martin's wife. It's possible the choice between Mime vs. Clown came down to getting proper information or simply obtaining the right disguise.
While exact details regarding the above approaches in gameplay is unclear, there are a few obvious elements. During preparation, aside from the necessary choices, players would have likely had to determine security elements without getting caught and obtain the proper disguises if applicable. Breaking in at night would have required some stealth, and in all cases, it seems likely the safe came before the horse. The one character during tricks would likely be a distraction for the main character, who has to get to the safe and bust it out. Same goes for the horse, and with the fight surrounding them, it may have been a small connection to Red Dead Redemption to have a good horse chase.
Overall, while the mission didn't make it into the game, the shared elements, the presumable gameplay, and the unique approach all sounds like it would have been a fun addition. For now, though, many fans are likely hopeful that the best parts of GTA 5 manifest in Grand Theft Auto 6.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions release on November 11, 2021.
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