GTA 6 Gameplay: everything we know so far

GTA 6 gameplay: what's new

FINALLY! On August 27 we got our first proper look at GTA 6 gameplay in the Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look. This 26-minute presentation was captured entirely from in-game footage on PlayStation 5.

It gave us our clearest look yet at how GTA 6 actually plays, from switching between Jason and Lucia to shootouts, police chases, car theft and everyday life in Leonida. Take a look at the video, now also available on YouTube:

In this article, we'll highlight all the best features we noticed in this first-look that broke Netflix.

Lucia and Jason: dual-protagonist system

One of the biggest gameplay features is the dual-protagonist system. You can play as Jason or Lucia individually, but the two can also explore Leonida and complete jobs together. When they're in the same location, switching between them can happen almost instantly. For example, you can switch from the character driving a car to the passenger during a chase, allowing you to choose whether you want to focus on driving or shooting.

When Jason and Lucia are apart, switching works more like GTA 5's character-switching system, with the camera moving across the world to the other protagonist. The character you're not controlling is AI-controlled when the pair are working together and can actively help during shootouts and missions.

^{Screenshot of Extended Look, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. Source: YouTube}

A completely reworked wanted system

The police system has also received a major overhaul. Instead of the police simply knowing where you are, GTA 6 can keep track of what law enforcement knows about you. Icons shown underneath your Wanted level can indicate whether police have information about your physical appearance, clothing, weapon, vehicle or whether you've been caught on camera.

This means escaping the police is more involved than simply driving outside a search area. Changing clothes, covering your face, abandoning or destroying a getaway vehicle and switching to a different car can all help make it harder for police to identify you.

GTA 6 also brings back the six-star wanted level. GTA 5 reduced the maximum to five stars, making this a long-awaited return for the classic six-star system.

^{Screenshot of Extended Look, car chase with 6-star wanted level visible. Source: YouTube}

Dynamic combat system and gunplay

The Extended Look showed a more dynamic combat system, including an updated cover system, vaulting over objects during firefights and extensive environmental destruction during shootouts and vehicle chases.

We also saw a slow-motion targeting mechanic that allows the player to focus on specific enemies and body parts. During missions, Jason and Lucia can fight alongside each other, with the character you're not currently controlling providing AI-controlled support.

Stealing cars is more complicated

Even stealing a car has become more detailed. GTA 6 showed different ways to break into vehicles instead of using the same animation every time. You can take the loud approach by smashing a window and pulling someone out of their car, while some vehicles can be opened more discreetly using tools.

Reports from Rockstar's official preview sessions also indicate that certain higher-security vehicles will require specialised equipment to steal, making some cars more difficult to take than others.

Count your calories: your lifestyle changes your character

GTA 6 is bringing back some of the character-simulation elements that fans might remember from GTA: San Andreas, while taking inspiration from the level of detail seen in Red Dead Redemption 2.

What Jason and Lucia do can physically affect how they look. Working out can build muscle, while regularly eating without exercising can cause them to gain weight. Food and exercise are connected to the character's physical condition, and prolonged lack of sleep can even leave visible signs of fatigue.

Physical activity is integrated naturally into the world, too. Running around Leonida, including running away from the police, contributes towards exercise. Players will also have access to gyms, food, salons, haircuts and other ways to influence Jason and Lucia's appearance. Of course, a smoothie is better for your health than a beer.

^{Screenshot of Extended Look, Jason grabbing a refreshment. Source: YouTube}

GTA VI has a much more reactive population

Rockstar is putting an enormous amount of work into making Leonida's population feel more believable. Rockstar told The New York Times that GTA 6 contains well over 600,000 animations. For comparison, GTA 5 had around 55,000 and Red Dead Redemption 2 around 300,000.

NPCs also come in a much wider variety of ages, heights, body types, clothing and appearances. Rockstar has said individual pedestrians are art-directed rather than simply being procedurally assembled from random parts, and different areas of Leonida have their own distinct populations.

NPCs react more naturally to the player's actions as well. Walking around openly carrying a rifle, for example, can cause nearby pedestrians to notice, comment or react before you've even committed a crime. Players can also interact with people through options such as greeting or taunting them.

More ways to spend your time in Leonida

The Extended Look also showed just how much there is to do outside the main story. Activities shown include:

• Basketball.
• Scuba diving.
• Kayaking and other water activities.
• Boat and airboat driving.
• Street, circuit and off-road racing.
• Dirt-bike riding.
• Parachuting.
• Working out at the gym.
• Visiting clubs, bars and other entertainment venues.
• Using the in-game social media network.
• Interacting with animals, including petting dogs.
  
  

Rockstar has also worked with real-life racing drivers while developing the vehicle handling. Vehicle upgrades can affect performance and handling as well as appearance, while Leonida's roads have been designed at a more realistic scale than Los Santos.

All GTA 6 new features listed

Following the Extended Look and Rockstar's official preview sessions, we now know far more about the new features coming to GTA 6. Some of the most notable confirmed and officially previewed gameplay features include:

• Dual-character switching between Jason and Lucia: explore and fight together while one is controlled by AI.
• A relationship system that lets you shape how close Jason and Lucia become.
• A reworked six-star Wanted System. Police can track details such as your appearance, outfit, vehicle and other identifying information. Changing vehicles, clothes and face coverings can help you escape police attention.
• A Criminal Profile System alongside the traditional Wanted level. 
• More detailed car theft with different tools and approaches for different vehicles.
• Updated cover-based combat and slow-motion targeting.
• Physical character progression based on exercise, food and lifestyle. But also lots of different haircuts, clothing, fitness and other appearance customisation.
• More reactive NPCs with a wider variety of appearances and behaviours, with more than 600,000 animations across GTA 6.
• A fully integrated in-game social media system.
• Activities including basketball, diving, kayaking, racing and parachuting.
• More interactive safehouses that are designed to feel like actual homes rather than simple save locations.
• Vehicle upgrades that can affect handling and performance.
  
  

The world itself is also considerably larger than GTA 5. Rockstar has described GTA 6 as its biggest and most immersive evolution of Grand Theft Auto yet. The state of Leonida includes Vice City as well as very different environments ranging from tropical islands and wetlands to industrial towns and national parks.

Confirmed major areas include:

• Vice City
• Leonida Keys
• Grassrivers
• Port Gellhorn
• Ambrosia
• Mount Kalaga
  
  

Playable characters: Jason & Lucia

The main characters of GTA 6 are Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. When this modern-day Bonnie and Clyde duo gets caught in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across Leonida, they are forced to rely on each other if they want to make it out alive.

Unlike GTA 5's three protagonists, Jason and Lucia are closely connected throughout the story. You can still spend time exploring the world independently as either character, but you can also bring them together and experience Leonida as a couple.

Jason and Lucia's relationship

How close Jason and Lucia become is partly up to the player. Their relationship can develop into a deeper romantic connection, but Rockstar isn't forcing players to engage heavily with this side of the simulation.

Whatever you choose, Jason and Lucia remain partners in crime and continue working together. Rockstar has said that nurturing their relationship can influence how their story plays out without removing the central partnership between them.

The pair regularly check in with each other while they're apart. When you're exploring alone, you can also have your partner join you. When Jason and Lucia are fighting together, the interface can display health information for both characters.

The Extended Look even showed smaller relationship interactions, including the pair spending time together away from missions and physical interactions such as holding hands (see screenshot below). These details are designed to let players who enjoy the simulation side of GTA shape their own version of Jason and Lucia's relationship.

^{Screenshot of Extended Look, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. Source: YouTube}

Lucia Caminos

^{Lucia Caminos. Source: Rockstar}

When we meet Lucia, she's fresh out of prison and ready with a plan to change the odds in her favour. Her father taught her to fight when she was still very young, and life has been tough for her ever since. She wants things to be different this time and is prepared to make the most of her new freedom.

Lucia is the first female co-lead in the modern 3D era of Grand Theft Auto, sharing the main protagonist role with Jason.

Jason Duval

^{Jason Duval. Source: Rockstar}

Jason has been around crime for most of his life. After serving in the Army in an attempt to escape his troubled teenage years, he ended up in the Leonida Keys working for local drug runners. He wants an easier life, but meeting Lucia could make things either much better or much more complicated.

Other confirmed GTA 6 characters

Besides Jason and Lucia, several other characters have already been confirmed to play a role in Leonida:

• Cal Hampton
• Boobie Ike
• Dre'Quan Priest
• Real Dimez
• Raul Bautista
• Brian Heder
  
  

^{Boobie Ike. Source: Rockstar}

Confirmed vehicles & weapons

A Grand Theft Auto game isn't complete without weapons and vehicles, and the Extended Look gave us a much better impression of how both will work in GTA 6. Vehicle theft is more involved, driving has been reworked and vehicles can be customised with upgrades that affect more than just appearance.

Vehicles also play an important role in escaping the new police system. If law enforcement has identified your getaway vehicle, ditching, destroying or replacing it can help you lose the trail.

Based on the pre-order benefits and Ultimate Edition features, we also have several confirmed vehicles and weapons.

Confirmed vehicles in GTA 6:

• 55 Vapid Stanier
• '95 Grotti Cheetah
• Dinka Enduro motorcycle
• Crest Kayak
• Shitzu Squalo watercraft
• '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy
  
  

Confirmed weapons in GTA 6:

• Hawk & Little Morgan revolvers
• Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol
• Vintage Vice City Pack weapon patterns
  
  

GTA 6 Online

Rockstar used the Extended Look to focus almost entirely on the single-player GTA 6 experience. The company still hasn't provided substantial details about the future of GTA Online or confirmed exactly how a new GTA Online experience will connect to GTA 6.

For now, GTA 6 is being presented as a single-player experience centred around Jason and Lucia when it launches on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We'll have to wait for Rockstar to reveal its multiplayer plans separately.

Excited for GTA VI? Pre-order now at Startselect

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