What is GTA 4's true ending: Deal or Revenge?

GTA 4 has two endings: Deal and Revenge. The former involves Niko having to make a deal with his former nemesis, Dimitri, while the latter features the protagonist planning to execute Dimitri. Rockstar Games never explicitly confirms which ending is canon. It's not like Grand Theft Auto V's finale in that the choice is obvious, either. However, this one Easter egg points to Revenge as the true ending.

That secret can be found in Grand Theft Auto V through a LifeInvader post, of all things. It is vital to mention that such details could simply be an Easter egg for fanservice rather than an outright confirmation of the true ending, yet it's still worth looking at.

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Why some fans believe that Revenge is likely the true ending for GTA 4

One random action that Jimmy De Santa might do in Grand Theft Auto V is using his laptop to build a resume. However, astute players will notice that he's on Niko Nellic's Lifeinvader page. The most important thing to note here is that Niko says, "Happy Birthday, Roman!"

Some players speculate that Roman Bellic is still alive since it would be random for Niko to publicly say happy birthday to a guy who was dead for years. This message was also apparently posted 40 minutes ago, meaning it was recent.

Niko's Lifeinvader page (Image via Rockstar Games)

Lifeinvader wasn't seen in GTA 4, meaning it would be logical to assume that Roman would use it after the game's events. There also isn't any appearance of Kate McReary in later games within the series to prove that Roman is dead.

For those who don't know, Revenge is the GTA 4 ending where Roman Bellic survives, but Kate McReary dies. Deal is where the opposite occurs. However, it is vital to mention that the Revenge ending is only hinted to be canon. It's never outright confirmed. Rockstar Games has always maintained a policy where the player decides what Niko Bellic's actions are in GTA 4.

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Rockstar Games' official answer for GTA 4's true ending

In a July 12, 2012, post titled, Asked & Answered: Max Payne 3 and Grand Theft Auto V, there was a question from a user named Mike Sean Clifton regarding Niko Bellic's choices in GTA 4. Rockstar Garespondedonds with:

"That's a very interesting question. The choices that you make in Grand Theft Auto IV while in the shoes of Niko Bellic are completely down to personal preference. Your conscience and curiosity help Niko to make decisions throughout the game, so we really don't have a straight and true path for how the Niko' character' would react in life or death situations – it's all down to the individual who plays him, and our hope was to have a fairly even split in all of the choices, so they seemed like real dilemmas. In terms of outcomes (something Niko would not know at the time) there is a 'best pathway' which is the sort of thing we reveal when we do a tips post, but that is from a pure game design / mechanics perspective as some choices give you more advantages than others, not from the choices Niko might make at the time. Those are up to you."

This answer came out before Grand Theft Auto V was released, meaning the Lifeinvader Easter egg hadn't come out yet.