We all love GTA cheats. Spawning a tank? Becoming invincible? It's pure sandbox bliss, hours of fun beyond the main story. But there's always that one catch, the rule everyone knows (and maybe grumbles about): use cheats, kiss your achievements or trophies goodbye for that session. This ain't Rockstar just being mean; it's a deliberate choice to keep those digital bragging rights legit.

The main reason? Achievements are supposed to mean something. They're badges of honor saying you beat a tough challenge, mastered a skill, or explored the game like the devs wanted. Cheats? They're the ultimate shortcut, letting you waltz past those hurdles. Giving you a trophy for finishing a hard mission while you were basically a god? That just cheapens it for everyone who did it the hard way.

It's also about game balance and what the devs intended. Sure, single-player balance isn't as critical as online, but achievements still show you engaged with the game's systems. Devs design achievements with specific challenges and difficulty in mind. Cheats throw all that out the window. For example, that "Walked Free" achievement in GTA IV for losing a 4-star wanted level? Blocked if you use the "Remove Wanted Level" cheat. Duh. Same for "Finish Him" (melee counters) if you're juiced up on health and armor cheats.

Rockstar's been tweaking this rule over the years:

• Old School (GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas): Back then, it was more about warnings of corrupted save files if you saved with cheats on. As achievements became a thing, San Andreas got stricter: use cheats, save, and achievements could be locked *permanently* for that save. Ouch.
• GTA IV & Episodes: The link got clearer. Use certain cheats, and specific achievements were off-limits. To get them back? Usually meant restarting the game clean or loading an old, cheat-free save.
• GTA V: This is the current standard. Cheats disable achievements/trophies for that play session. You *can* save with cheats active, but no accolades for you during that run. Re-entering most cheats turns them off, and starting missions often deactivates any active off-mission cheats anyway.

This led to the sacred GTA player tradition: the two save files. One "clean" save for serious story progress and achievement hunting. Another "dirty" save where you go absolutely buck wild with cheats, no strings attached. Best of both worlds: structured challenge and pure, unadulterated mayhem.

Now, don't get this twisted with cheating or modding in GTA Online. That's a whole different ballgame. Any funny business giving you an unfair edge online is a big no-no and can get your ass banned or reset. Single-player cheat rules are about keeping personal achievements meaningful, not policing a fair fight.

It's also about the "spirit" of achievements. They're a meta-game, a way to show off your skills and dedication. Cheats just undermine that. Even retro gaming communities that add achievements to old games usually block in-game cheats from unlocking them because, well, it's cheating the system.

Historically, a lot of cheats were just dev tools left in for fun. But achievements? They're about beating the game as it was designed. So, yeah, disabling achievements when you're cheating in GTA is standard practice, and it makes sense. It keeps those digital badges valuable, proving you actually earned them. It lets Rockstar give us the keys to a kingdom of consequence-free destruction while still protecting the integrity of the achievement hunt for those who are into that specific grind.