The two GTA 4 expansions, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, are separate campaigns with their own protagonists. You do not unlock them by playing Niko’s story and you will not find a mission marker for them in Liberty City. They are launched from a menu, and which menu depends on how you own the game.
What They Are
- The Lost and Damned follows Johnny Klebitz of The Lost motorcycle club.
- The Ballad of Gay Tony follows Luis Fernando Lopez.
Both run alongside Niko’s story rather than after it, covering the same period in Liberty City from different angles. You do not need to have finished the main game to play either.
Launching Them on Console
On the Complete Edition title screen you get three characters: Niko on the left for the main game, and Johnny and Luis on the right for the two expansions. Select the one you want and it loads that campaign.
Switching later works the same way. Go to New Game and pick the story you want, and it loads the most recent save for that episode.
Launching Them on PC
On Steam this works differently and trips people up. The Complete Edition installs as separate entries in your library, and the expansions live under GTA: EFLC (Episodes from Liberty City) rather than inside GTA IV itself.
If you bought the Complete Edition and cannot find the episodes in the main game, that is why. Close it and launch EFLC from your library instead.
Separate Saves, Separate Progress
Each campaign keeps its own save. Progress, weapons, money and vehicles do not carry between them.
That matters for the practical stuff: a car parked at a safehouse in Niko’s story is not there in Johnny’s. Our guide on how to save cars covers the parking system, and it applies within each episode independently.
Do They Use the Same Systems?
Broadly yes. Phone, safehouses, wanted levels and the general Liberty City rules carry across. Our guides on how to dial numbers and how to heal apply to all three campaigns.
Each expansion adds its own weapons, vehicles and activities on top, and The Ballad of Gay Tony in particular is noticeably more extravagant than the base game.
Which to Play First
They are independent, so either. The Lost and Damned is the darker and more grounded of the two; The Ballad of Gay Tony is the lighter one and is generally the more popular.
If you finished Niko’s story, our guide on how to save Roman covers the ending choice, and the expansions are commonly read as supporting one of the two outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to finish GTA 4 first? No. Both expansions are standalone campaigns.
Where do you start them on console? From the title screen, selecting Johnny or Luis instead of Niko.
Where are they on Steam? Under a separate GTA: EFLC entry in your library, not inside GTA IV.
Does progress carry over between episodes? No. Each keeps its own save, money and vehicles.