Thanks to a new GTA Online update, Rockstar Games has confirmed what happened to Franklin Clinton following the events of Grand Theft Auto 5's story. Franklin will return in GTA Online's newest update, The Contract, alongside Chop the Dog and Lamar and will be the character's first appearance since Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in 2013. Although Trevor appeared in GTA Online via the first Heists update, that update was set before the story of GTA 5. This will be the first time players get to see one of the three protagonists after the events of GTA 5.
Part of this is probably because Franklin is the only character to survive all three endings of GTA 5, so it doesn't risk retconning anyone's single-player choices. Rockstar has seemingly suggested that Option C is the canon ending to GTA 5 via a line of dialogue from Tao in one of the Casino missions, but neither Michael nor Trevor have been seen after the main story. It's possible this new update with Franklin will give some insight into what the others have been up to, but its main intent is to provide an update on Franklin's new life.
Following the Union Depository heist, Franklin has reinvested his money into creating an agency in Los Santos that specializes in helping celebrities. Essentially, Franklin has become Ray Donovan and is acting as a fixer to celebrities that have any dirty laundry. As was heavily rumored, Dr. Dre is in the new GTA Online update and will be a key player in Franklin's next adventure. When heading to Cayo Perico in 2020, Dr. Dre lost track of his phone and it ended up in the wrong hands.
GTA Online: The Contract Reveals What Happened To Franklin
Franklin and his team, which includes the player, are tasked with finding the phone as it's filled with unreleased music from Dr. Dre. It's likely a lot more will be revealed regarding what has happened in Franklin's life post-GTA 5 in the new update, but clearly, he's putting his wealth to good use and trying to stay busy. The last time fans saw Michael, he was a movie producer, so perhaps Franklin will have a reason to run into the ex-bank robber given his new occupation.
Chop the Dog is also alive and well, albeit looking a bit older than usual. It's unclear if Franklin's canine best friend will be out in the field with players on missions or if he'll just be in the agency's offices to look cute and pettable. GTA Online's timeline currently takes place roughly eight years after the events of GTA 5, so Chop is getting up there in age, but he may still have some fight left in him. Nonetheless, Franklin and his band of misfits seem to be better than ever.
In Grand Theft Auto 5's story, Franklin was often seen as a guy trying to make an honest living while also being held back by his idiotic gangbanger friends. It seems he's found a balance with his new agency and can put his more reckless friends to work while still doing something that at least appears legitimate on the surface, even if it requires dirty work. With his appearance in the latest update, it seems like Franklin will be cemented as a close ally to GTA Online players going forward.