Cheat Codes · Guide
GTA 3 Cheat Codes: Every PC and Controller Cheat
Every GTA 3 cheat code: health, weapons, money, police, weather and vehicles, on PC and controller, plus what changed in the Definitive Edition.
Contents
A Rhino tank dropping out of nowhere, the full arsenal in one line, the cops wiped off your back in an instant: GTA 3 cheat codes are a piece of gaming history, the ones a whole generation used to explore the first 3D GTA back in 2001. Here’s the complete list, on PC and controller, along with the one real catch you need to know before you start messing around: what the 2021 remaster changed, and why you should keep a backup save.
How to enter cheat codes in GTA 3
Everything happens during gameplay, without pausing. On PC, the method is brutally simple, very much a product of its time: you type the code on your keyboard, with no text box or menu to open. An on-screen message confirms the cheat is active. That’s why GTA 3 cheats became so iconic: people memorized them like magic spells. GUNSGUNSGUNS, GESUNDHEIT, IFIWEREARICHMAN.
On controller, originally on PlayStation 2 and now on every Definitive Edition platform (PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch), you enter a button combo in the right order, again during gameplay. The effects are identical to the PC letter codes: two different inputs, same result.
Every GTA 3 cheat code on PC
These are the codes to type on your keyboard in-game. Make sure you get the spelling exactly right, all one word with no spaces.
Survival, weapons and money
| Effect | Code to type |
|---|---|
| Full health (also repairs your vehicle) | GESUNDHEIT |
| Full armor | TORTOISE |
| All weapons, with ammo | GUNSGUNSGUNS |
| Adds $250,000 | IFIWEREARICHMAN |
Here’s the part that surprises players used to the recent games: GTA 3 has a money cheat. IFIWEREARICHMAN drops $250,000 into your account every time you type it, while GTA 4 and GTA 5 never offered any kind of cash cheat. The trade-off is that there’s no god mode and no infinite ammo: the health cheat just refills your bar once, and GUNSGUNSGUNS gears you up without making you invincible.
Police and weather
| Effect | Code to type |
|---|---|
| Clears your wanted level (no more cops) | NOPOLICEPLEASE |
| Raises your wanted level | MOREPOLICEPLEASE |
| Sunny weather | SKINCANCERFORME |
| Cloudy skies | ILIKESCOTLAND |
| Rain | ILOVESCOTLAND |
| Fog | PEASOUP |
NOPOLICEPLEASE is the ultimate get-out-of-jail card when SWAT and choppers are closing in. The weather cheats, meanwhile, are perfect for setting a mood: Liberty City in the rain or buried in fog brings out the game’s full New York crime-noir vibe.
Vehicles, pedestrians and misc
| Effect | Code to type |
|---|---|
| Spawns a Rhino tank | GIVEUSATANK |
| Flying cars | CHITTYCHITTYBB |
| Better handling | CORNERSLIKEMAD |
| Faster gameplay | TIMEFLIESWHENYOU |
| Changes Claude’s outfit (random) | ILIKEDRESSINGUP |
| Pedestrians riot | ITSALLGOINGMAAAD |
| Hostile pedestrians (they attack you) | NOBODYLIKESME |
| Armed pedestrians | WEAPONSFORALL |
The pedestrian trio (ITSALLGOINGMAAAD, NOBODYLIKESME, WEAPONSFORALL) turns the city into a war zone, but you can’t switch it off mid-game: once it’s on, only reloading a save brings back the peace. As for GIVEUSATANK, it’s still the most satisfying cheat in all of GTA 3, a tank dropped right in the street that flattens everything in its path.
GTA 3 cheat codes on controller
On console and in the Definitive Edition, it’s all about button combos. Here are the most useful ones, using PlayStation notation.
| Effect | Combo (PlayStation) |
|---|---|
| Full health (repairs your vehicle) | R2, R2, L1, R1, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up |
| Full armor | R2, R2, L1, L2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up |
| All weapons | R2, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up |
| Adds $250,000 | R2, R2, L1, L1, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up |
| Raises wanted level | R2, R2, L1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right |
| Clears wanted level | R2, R2, L1, R2, Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down |
| Rhino tank | Circle, Circle, Circle, Circle, Circle, Circle, R1, L2, L1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle |
| Rain | L1, L2, R1, R2, R2, R1, L2, Circle |
On Xbox, it works the same way: swap L1/L2/R1/R2 for LB/LT/RB/RT, and Triangle, Circle, Square, Cross for Y, B, X, A. On Nintendo Switch, the button order follows the Pro Controller layout.
What changed in the Definitive Edition
The 2021 remaster keeps the vast majority of the original cheats, but not all of them. Three classic cheats were removed, and one was added.
| Code (original PC) | Effect | Definitive Edition status |
|---|---|---|
| ANICESETOFWHEELS | Invisible cars (only the chassis remains) | Removed |
| NASTYLIMBSCHEAT | Dismemberment, extra gore | Removed |
| BANGBANGBANG | Blows up every vehicle around you | Removed |
| EXPANDDOME | Big head mode | Added (Definitive Edition exclusive) |
More importantly, the remaster tightened the rules on rewards. In the original release (PS2, PC), there were no achievements to protect. In the Definitive Edition, the moment you enter a cheat, trophies and achievements are disabled for that save, and it’s harder to undo than in GTA 4, where reloading was enough. The pro move is simple: play your “clean” runs for progression, and keep a dedicated sandbox save for your cheat sessions.
A bit of context, and how to play GTA 3 in 2026
Grand Theft Auto III launched on October 22, 2001 on PlayStation 2, followed by PC in May 2002. It’s the game that took the series into 3D and set the template for the open-world crime game we still know today, starring Claude, a silent protagonist turned loose in a New York-inspired Liberty City. Its cheats belong to an era when cheating was part of the fun, before achievements and online play.
To play it (again) in 2026, the official route is the Definitive Edition, released on November 11, 2021 as part of Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy alongside Vice City and San Andreas, and available on PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. On PC, you’ll find it on Steam and the Rockstar Games Launcher; it’s also included in Netflix’s mobile games lineup. The trilogy had a rocky launch in 2021, but plenty of patches since then have made GTA III the most stable entry of the bunch.
Hunting for cheats from the other games? Our GTA 5 cheat codes guide covers the modern entry, while the GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas lists round out the 3D era, and the GTA 4 cheats run through Niko’s phone. To go further, check out our GTA III retrospective and our Trilogy Definitive Edition review. And for the future of the series, head over to our page on the cheat codes we expect in GTA 6.
FAQ
How do you enter cheat codes in GTA 3?
On PC, there's no menu or console to open: just type the code on your keyboard during gameplay, without pausing. An on-screen message confirms it worked. On controller (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Definitive Edition), you enter a button combo in the right order, also during gameplay. The PC letter codes and the controller combos have the same effects.
Is there a money cheat in GTA 3?
Yes, and that's rare enough to point out. On PC, IFIWEREARICHMAN adds $250,000 every time you type it; on controller, the combo is R2, R2, L1, L1, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. That's a real perk compared with GTA 4 and GTA 5, which never had a cash cheat. It's not a free pass, though: in the Definitive Edition, spamming it still has consequences for your trophies.
Do cheats disable trophies and achievements in the Definitive Edition?
Yes. As soon as you enter a cheat on a Definitive Edition save, trophies and achievements are locked for that playthrough, and it's harder to undo than in GTA 4 or GTA 5: reloading doesn't always cut it, so it's best to keep cheats on a dedicated save. Back up your save files before you start cheating.
Which GTA 3 cheats no longer work in the Definitive Edition?
Three cheats from the original were cut from the 2021 remaster: invisible cars (ANICESETOFWHEELS), gory dismemberment (NASTYLIMBSCHEAT) and instantly blowing up every vehicle around you (BANGBANGBANG). In return, the Definitive Edition adds a big head mode that wasn't in the original.
Is there a god mode or infinite ammo in GTA 3?
No. GTA 3 never had an invincibility or unlimited ammo cheat. The health cheat refills your bar once, the armor cheat does the same, and the weapons cheat hands you the full arsenal with plenty of ammo, but nothing keeps you untouchable for good. To survive, you'll have to re-enter the cheats or play it safe.
Liberty City is yours. Go wild, just do it on a separate save. Alfred, GTA Zone.
Sources
- Reported Vandal: the complete list of GTA III PC cheats (letter codes typed on the keyboard, effects by category: health, weapons, money, police, weather, vehicles and pedestrians)
- Reported GTABase: GTA III controller cheats (PS2, PS4/PS5), button combos for health, armor, weapons, the $250,000, wanted level, the Rhino tank and weather, plus trophies being disabled when a cheat is entered
- Reported Inverse: the GTA III cheats that still work in the Definitive Edition, and the ones cut from the original (gore, invisible cars, blow up all vehicles)
- Confirmed Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition, released November 11, 2021, bundling GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas on PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC
- Confirmed Steam: Grand Theft Auto III The Definitive Edition, the PC version sold today, developed and published by Rockstar Games
- Reported Wikipedia: Grand Theft Auto III release history (October 22, 2001 on PlayStation 2, May 2002 on PC, Xbox port in 2003)
About the author
Alfred from GTA Zone
Alfred is the byline of GTA Zone, written and checked by the newsroom. Every fact is sourced and labeled Confirmed, Reported or Rumor, and every page is updated when the story moves.
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