GTA Online: What to do if your character appears to be deleted

XMNR: Since Grand Theft Auto Online launched, the multiplayer mode for GTA V has been plagued with issues. One of the most troubling is that characters appear to be deleted. While a patch released by Rockstar Games Friday for the PS3 and Xbox 360 fixed some of the online issues, the character deletion problem remains. However, it's actually very easy to get around if you don't overreact.

[DonnieDarko]

I've done the tutorial 5 times already and had to remake my character all over again every time. Also the auto aim completely fails. I don't know why I expected so much! Gta 4 online was broken as well.

[redcar121]

Im trading this crap in im done

[n4rc]

huge fail by R*

i love how some people actually defend this type of crap..

preorders for this game began like a year ago.. the demand wasnt unexpected... it was 100% fact, they knew exactly what they needed to build..

and they cheaped out.. using customers as unpaid beta testers is a cancer in gaming... and its heartwarming to see a once reputable company start doing it as well..

screw you guys at R*.. this isnt a hissyfit or a rant.. its pointing out the obvious... im not going to threaten a class action lawsuit or any such nonsense..

but your credibility is gone.. what i cant understand is this issue has been widespread and increasing for days... yet they havent pulled the online down to solve the issue..

unpaid beta testers.

[Black-Helghast]

And someone finally calls them on their bs

[Dee_91]

exactly
Finally some one has the cojones to over exaggerate something so insignificant and complain it about on the internet.
So refreshing

[n4rc]

Ya... Deleting customer profiles and playing dumb on the issue is completely insignificant!!

This isn't laggy servers or bad matchmaking. Its deletion of customers entire reason for playing a RPG GTA. Progression

[Dee_91]

lol
you didnt even read the article..

[adrianego]

my characters has been gone and it's rank 20,don't know what to do, so I created a new character in Slot number 1,but on slot number 2 i didn't create a new one because my rank 20 character is in the slot 2. how can it be restored? any suggestion? :(

[canadianlonewolf]

It was taking way too long on a loading page for tennis, so i turned my ps3 of and on, and i had to create a new character. I haven't yet though. The strange thing is that http://socialclub.rockstarg... has kept my characters wins/loss ratio and a few other stats, but the character its self is gone. Really don't want to lose this character cause i'm very proud of my car

[zakko66]

i got the exact same thing on xbox bro my loading screen for TDM was taking to long so i took the disc out and my characters gone but all my stats are still their and money but my jobs that did and a couple other stats

[Liamr1234]

Same don't try anything or it will delete it permanently

[Liamr1234]

If anyone finds out how to fix it please put it on

[GTAV666]

This just happened to me this morning when i got kicked from a session for no particular reason, i didn't create a new guy by the way.

[GTAV666]

I was rank 21 had a apt 2 nice cars that i was tricking out & this happens, i better get my guy back i'm gonna keep trying what people are saying to get your character back, i didn't expect this thought R. was being good to me but nope i'm stuck in the same boat with you guys.

[GTAV666]

GTA Online was most anticipated like GTA V the game it's self, but it has a shit load of issues it's not living up to what they proclaimed was going to be a amazing experience.

[GarrusVakarian]

It is amazing, when it actually works. Trust me.

My character has been deleted too, but my money and rank are still there......wtf.

[tigertron]

I just lost my character this evening. I was playing fine then the game froze so I restarted my PS3 only to find my character has gone again.

Well I'm not going to bother creating yet another character if there is the possibility of it existing on Rockstar's servers, so until it gets sorted I'm going to play other games instead.

[EATITFOOL]

Why are we all just now starting to lose our characters? This wasn't as big of a problem yesterday or the day before....

[AiirJordann23]

im on my 5th character i will NOT create another one im now ranked 20 and just bought $125,000 apartment with a 6 car garage im good for now but i hope this one doesnt messes up

[aLittleBitNinja]

I am on my second character brought the 400,000 house and lots of cars i was also level 25 if it doesn't come back soon i am never playing this shit again.

[plaZeHD]

Getting little to no glitches. But my friend with a better Internet connection is having it a lot worse.

[Robdeagle]

I feel sorry for some of y'all. I have had zero issues with this game. Every time I go to play online it instantly logs me in. The race with Lamar loaded right up the first day and I played last night after downloading the patch and again everything was there and had no issues. I've been playing with all my friends also.

[zakko66]

level 26 205,000 apartment with a sick car and 48,000 in the bank and i turned off my xbox because the loading was Taking to long and i go back on and my guy is gone but his stats re still on the cockstar social club thing

[JohnnyZebra]

EVERY SINGLE TIME I start GTA 5 Online, EVERYTHING is GONE!! I got to level 6 and went through a bunch of crap for like 2.5 hrs and its all gone. This is the 4th time in a row and I'm fed up of doing these starting missions over and over! They need a massive update very soon or I'm guna bash this game anywhere and everywhere I can.

[Fruitshood]

Same, online is literally pointless for me cause i have to remake a character just to play online.. every fucking time. am i doing something wrong or wi it be fixed? if anyone knows anything, PLEASE let me know! SO SHIT!!

[elmir545]

I just started playing Online and I freaking love it it took me a while to make my 2nd character cause the other one got deleted I felt very happy with it And then I get to rank 7 with him and he was gone... Idk if I can make a character like that again D:

[Z501]

When R* finally "fixes" this issue. EVERYONE is going to have to start from scratch. Because, i don't think it's fair to have my (for example) level 6 character in a world with level 30+ characters. Esp. when I've been playing since day 0, minute 0, etc.

Just lost my level 18 character this morning :(

[EATITFOOL]

ROCKSTAR IS WATCHING THIS FORM!! THEY DELETED MY LAST POST THAT HAD HOW TO FIX MISSING CHARACTER!

[Fruitshood]

Why would they delete a fix? wtf

[biRdy]

seems to happen if you turn off your console at anytime while playing online, even using the xbox guide button to join a friends game instead of using the in games joining system has deleted both mine and my brother's account.

[Metaliczang]

I'm having same problem. Game played fine til today I have a lvl 37 2xx,xxx apart. 8 modded cars every possible gun and attachment as well as clothing at my level with the exception of a few. Like hell am I restarting! This is the issue they should have fixed rather than focusing on a patch to stop people from replaying a mission! I see people making money and progress is unacceptable to R* but having players hard work (in my case over 30 hours) thrown down the drain is acceptable. I guess they're more focused on stopping people from making in game money so they will be more likely to spend cash for GTA$. Not only that but it's been almost 3 weeks since the launch of GTA which focused on heist and still we are looking at possible weeks more until we get that option online for those who haven't been shitted out of their hard work.

[lazytowner]

I think those that are defending Rockstar during what can be described as nothing else but a poorly guided public beta test are actually correct. The single-player was the main draw for their monstrous year-long marketing campaign, but they also used GTA: Online as a secondary draw. That's partially fine, but the part that leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the scummy level of disparity between what was predicted in the months before Online release and what actually happened. Statements like "buggy release" and "funny glitches" were made in press releases anticipating launch. That is weak wording compared to an entire community losing progress in a poorly managed system for character data, mostly due to pressing a seemingly harmless "Retry" button, no less.

Even after all the progress Ive lost and the fact that I'm told to simply stop playing until the product is actually functional, I may not have the right to be angry with a condition that they (albeit weakly and underhandedly) described as the possible situation at launch, but the amount of people permanently walking away from this content simply because of poor project management and a lack of -honest- and -straightforward- communication with the consumers is well deserved.

We are witnessing yet another promising online multiplayer concept failing simply because of inept execution, turning out to be a perfect example of overpromising and underdelivering -- a trait that's sadly becoming far too common in the modern-day gaming industry.

[weaver929]

Has anyone figured out how to restore your character?