Merryweather Security Consulting is a private military company and security contractor featured in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
They are the main group of antagonists in the single player of GTA V.
Divisions
There appears to be two divisions of Merryweather Security. Like Gruppe Sechs, the first division provides onsite and property protection with uniformed guards; these guards can be seen patrolling properties in marked cars or walking the premises with a guard dog.
The second division is a paramilitary force equipped and trained for high-risk operations; this division is comprised primarily of former military servicemen, possibly Special Forces. The US Government employs this division as a courior service and it is implied the FIB and IAA use them as hired back up.
Events of GTA V and GTA Online
Sometime before the game's start, Merryweather is cleared by the American government to begin operating on US soil, both in service of the government and of other organizations in the private sector.
It begins experiencing setbacks and problems almost immediately after their clearance. During GTA Online, many of its aircraft and supplies are stolen by the GTA Online Protagonist, who was contacted by Lester Crest. Lester also sends the player to steal documentaion and cargo guarded by Merryweather on numerous occasions. Underground crime lord Martin Madrazo has also hired the player to destroy Merryweather interests.
Later, during GTA V, Merryweather suffers many problematic setbacks at the hands of the game's main protagonists, particularly those of Trevor Philips. During the game, Merryweather has one of the experimental weapons they were guarding for the US government stolen; one of their planes, which was carrying millions of dollars in weaponry, hijacked and taken down; one of their courier trains, carrying millions of dollars worth of priceless artifacts, derailed; dozens of their men killed at a massive shootout in the Kortz Center; several men killed after an unsuccessful house invasion, dozens of their men killed while unsuccesfully attempting to stop a heist at the Union Depository Building and (depending on the player's choice) one of their chief board members kidnapped, stuffed into a car, and rolled off a cliff.
By the end of the main storyline, Merryweather's reputation is in shambles after so many catastrophic failures, causing several of their regular clients to drop them from their payroll, including the US government. After losing the government contract, Merryweather loses clearance to operate on American soil and is forced to shut down several operations they'd started in the country, costing them millions of dollars.
Known Members
- Members
- Don Percival - Founder/CEO
- Devin Weston - Major Shareholder
- Associates
- Molly Schultz (Formerly)
- Franklin Clinton (Formerly)
- Michael De Santa (Formerly)
- Trevor Philips (Formerly)
- Lamar Davis (Formerly)
- Online Player
Mission Appearances
- GTA V
- Scouting the Port
- The Merryweather Heist
- Minor Turbulence
- Derailed
- The Wrap Up
- Meltdown
- The Big Score
- The Third Way (Wiped out after this mission)
- GTA Online
- A Titan of a Job
- Dry Docking
- Teaser Trailer
- Show Me the Monet
- Chemical Extraction
- American Exports
- Docks to Stock
- Docks to Stock II
- Stocks and Scares
- Various Gang Attacks
Services (GTA Online)
Service | GTA Online Description | In-Game Effect | Cost | Level Requirement |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ammo Drop | Request an ammo crate to be dropped at your GPS location. Be sure you are in a secluded location to stop other players stealing it. | Merryweather will drop an ammo crate, which will add some ammo to the gun that you're holding when you pick the crate up. | $1000 | 13 |
Backup Helicopter | Request a helicopter to provide covering fire. | Calls for a Buzzard helicopter to fly in and eliminate hostile players and other enemies. It will circle around the character for a while until it leaves. | $5000 | 20 |
Boat Pickup | Request a boat to bring you to land. | Calls for a private Dinghy to come at the player's location. Works like a taxi. The player can choose to kill the driver and steal the Dinghy instead. Only works when the player is in water. | $250 | 25 |
Helicopter Pickup | Request a helicopter to pick you up. | Calls for a private Maverick to land at the player's location. Works like a taxi. The player can choose to kill the helicopter pilot and steal the Maverick instead. | $1000 | 30 |
Call Mercenaries | Choose a player to be attacked by mercenaries. | Calls for mercenaries to track and eliminate a player. They will appear as 4 armed operatives driving a Mesa and will continue coming until the player is dead. Should they not succeed, a full refund is then given to the contractor. If the target enters his apartment, mercenaries will stop attacking him. | $7500 | 35 |
Airstrike | Request an airstrike at a selected position. | After the payment is received, the player will be requested to drop a flare before a P-996 LAZER arrives. If the player goes underground or doesn't drop the flare before the jet flies overhead, the LAZER will return fly away, though with no refund given. | $12500 | 50 |
Merryweather Security will temporarily suspend services if the player has recently been hostile towards them, i.e. kill them in gang attacks. However, they will not suspend services if they are killed during missions (i.e. A Titan of a Job, Dry Docking, etc.)
Vehicles
Merryweather's fleet of vehicles include:
- Canis Mesas modified to be more capable off-road.
- Karin Dilettantes used as patrol vehicles in the Port of Los Santos, Davis Quartz, and Vinewood Hills.
- Buzzards
- Mavericks
- Nagasaki Dinghys
- At least one Cargo Plane.
- Mammoth Patriots
Trivia
- Merryweather is a parody of Academi, formerly known as Blackwater and Xe Services, a private military company infamous for alleged human rights violations during the Iraq War. Like Academi, Merryweather had changed its name following an incident that resulted in negative public relations.
- The styling of the name is also derived from Academi's former Blackwater logo.
- Every GTA V era protagonist is responsible for attacking Merryweather and ruining their plans.
- Devin Weston apparently owns 11% of Merryweather. If the player chooses the "Deathwish" ending and kills Weston, Don Percival buys out the majority of Weston's stock in the company.
- In the Something Sensible ending, despite the fact that Devin Weston does not die and Merryweather does not fail one more time in this mission, after the mission is done, a phone call from Steve Haines reveals that Merryweather also loses its license to operate in the U.S. in this ending.
- Throughout the story, Trevor makes references to Merryweather as the "New World Order's" private army and part of the Illuminati. Their emblem, the owl, is also a reference to the Illuminati and the Bohemian Grove conspiracy. In fact, when listening to private conversations with LSPD officers, they discuss the possibility of Merryweather eventually replacing them as law enforcement in the city.
- On their official website, a map of the World shows Merryweather has several operations and bases across the continents in locations such as Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America as well as the Middle East.
- In GTA Online, Merryweather soldiers called by the player will, oddly enough, attack other Merryweather soldiers during missions.
- There is a submarine that Merryweather is working on in the docks. However, it will stay the same in Story Mode and Online despite it being a few month seperation.