How GTA 6 Plays

How GTA 6 plays - the wanted level, Criminal Profile, carjacking, driving, NPCs and the couple system, from the Extended Look and the Rockstar North previews.

27 August 2026

An Extended Look

Rockstar's first gameplay presentation, 27 August 2026 - captured entirely in-game on a PlayStation 5, in Rockstar's words. It premiered on Netflix and went to YouTube the same night.

Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look

Gameplay

What we know

What activities are in GTA 6?

Base jumping, billiards, gyms, kayaking, mini golf, scuba diving, street and off-road racing, zoos, airboating and jet skiing, according to VGC's report of Game Informer's cover story. Rockstar has not published a full list of side activities of its own.

1 source
  1. VGC - GTA 6 map officially twice as large as GTA 5, features hurricanes and tropical storms (opens in a new tab)

    "In terms of activities, the game will include Base jumping, Billiards, Gyms, Kayaking, Mini golf, Scuba diving, Street and off-road racing, Zoos, Air boating, and Jet skiing."

What activities are in GTA 6?

What is the Criminal Profile in GTA 6?

A new system alongside the Wanted level that shifts with how you behave. TGG, who put it to Nelson directly, says the team built it from what they learned on Red Dead Redemption 2's Honor, see it as belonging in a GTA now, and made it different from Honor. Rubius describes it as a morality system that shapes how the world and the police respond to you. Nelson told IGN there is no right or wrong way to play, but consistent actions affect how the world reacts and how the narrative plays out. Small acts count: binning rubbish helped in the demo, and Nelson says feeding animals will.

4 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "There isn't a right or wrong way to play this game, but consistent actions may have an impact in terms of how the world reacts to you and how the narrative plays out"

  2. TGG - GTA 6: Criminal Profile, Romance & How Your Relationship Works | Deep Dive (New Info) (opens in a new tab)

    At 00:17-00:31: "It's called criminal profile, and last month I spoke to the GTA 6 co-head of development, Rob Nelson, and he explained what the team learned from Red Dead Redemption 2, why they feel this system belongs in a GTA now, and most importantly what makes it different to honor."

  3. Rubius - Esto es GTA VI (GAMEPLAY + EXCLUSIVA) (opens in a new tab)

    At 18:16-18:29: "También existe un sistema de honor parecido a otros juegos donde tus acciones moldean un sistema de moralidad o entre comillas perfil criminal como por ejemplo rango profesional que afecta a cómo responde el mundo y la policía ante ti."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 07:46-08:00: "Smaller everyday actions seem to make a difference, too. Throwing trash in a trash can seemed to help. And according to Nelson, one of the other options will be feeding animals."

What is the Criminal Profile in GTA 6?

Can you switch between characters in GTA 6?

Yes. You can swap between Jason and Lucia at almost any point, though IGN notes not during certain story moments, or move through the world together. Dazed, interviewing Nelson, put it as playing as a couple or going off to cause chaos independently. Rockstar had not described the mechanism before the previews were published in August 2026; its own line is that meeting Lucia could be the best or worst thing to ever happen to Jason.

4 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "You can swap between the two protagonists at almost any point or explore the world together while you manage their stats with food buffs and workouts."

  2. Dazed - GTAVI: An exclusive deep dive into the video game of the decade (opens in a new tab)

    "Players step into the shoes of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos – an ex-military drug runner and a fighter fresh out of prison, respectively – and can choose to either play as a couple, or go off and cause chaos independently."

  3. Rockstar Games - Only in Leonida - official GTA VI people and places (opens in a new tab)

    "Meeting Lucia could be the best or worst thing to ever happen to him."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 02:00-02:10: "Yes, you can swap between the two characters at almost any point. Not for certain story things, or explore the world together, and manage their stats with food, baths, workouts, things like that."

Can you switch between characters in GTA 6?

How do NPCs react to you in GTA 6?

With a range of reactions rather than blanket panic. TGG watched a group of NPCs clock that Jason was carrying a gun and respond before he had aimed at anyone, which he says no GTA 5 NPC would do, and saw different people react very differently to the same approach. Hold L2 with the weapon holstered and you lock on to greet or antagonise instead of aiming. Nelson told IGN that in previous games players were a bit all-powerful, so NPCs would run in terror, and that this world is not like that.

4 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "Apart from the police, everyone would run in terror from you if you started acting out. This world in GTA 6 is not like that."

  2. TGG - GTA 6: The Police are Smarter Than Ever | Deep Dive (opens in a new tab)

    At 10:43-11:09: "as we sort of approached a group of NPCs, they instantly recognized that Jason had a gun on him. And the way they responded kind of blew my mind. They didn't act like a GTA V NPC and just do nothing and wait for you to actually aim at them."

  3. TGG - GTA 6 New Details (Exclusive) - 80 hour Story, Map Size, Frame Rate, Drive-Thrus & More! (opens in a new tab)

    At 13:06-13:31: "If you have your weapon holstered, right, you're just walking around with nothing, unarmed. You hold L2, it'll sort of lock on to NPCs and then you can greet or antagonize. And I actually saw different NPCs react very differently to the player in the gameplay that I saw."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 01:07-01:19: "Nelson told us that in previous GTA games, players were a bit all powerful. You were the only one with an invisible arsenal hidden away, so NPCs would run in terror. In his words, this world in GTA 6 is not like that."

How do NPCs react to you in GTA 6?

Are there safehouses in GTA 6?

Yes, and Nelson says they are closer to the camps in Red Dead Redemption 2 than to any previous GTA safehouse in how interactive they are - grab a drink from the fridge, change your hairstyle, spend time there as a couple.

4 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "The safehouses in this game are probably closer to the camps in RDR2 than they are to safehouses in any GTA game before in terms of how interactive they are and how much they feel like your home"

  2. TGG - GTA 6: 38 New Details - Gore, Enterable Hotels, Interiors & First-Person (opens in a new tab)

    At 01:56-02:28: "That was one of the main things that I was shocked by. Even down to the point of when Rob ate an apple, he threw the apple in the bin. Like that's the level they're going to with these RP features. Pretty much everything is interactable in there."

  3. Rubius - Esto es GTA VI (GAMEPLAY + EXCLUSIVA) (opens in a new tab)

    At 08:50-09:26: "Mi gameplay comienza en un apartamento que tenían Jason y Lucía ... Se puede abrir. Y dentro estaba cargada de comidas y bebidas ... me fijé que se podía interactuar con casi todo, desde abrir o cerrar cualquier puerta hasta encender o apagar los interruptores de luz."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 08:01-08:20: "Jason and Lucia have access to a new upgraded type of safehouse where you can grab a drink from the fridge, give yourself a new hairstyle, and just do couple [stuff]. From what I saw, they're designed to be much closer to the camps we saw in Red Dead Redemption 2."

Are there safehouses in GTA 6?

Does GTA 6 have social media?

Yes. TGG saw a full social media system: you can read what NPCs are posting and where, then go to that spot and possibly catch the event unfolding in real time. IGN adds that Jason and Lucia do not post themselves - a couple on the run - but lurk and doomscroll like the rest of us. Both carry a phone with apps, including one that scans a car for trackers and shows its resale value.

2 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "Social media returns in a big way, and even if Jason and Lucia aren't posting themselves — they're a couple on the run, after all — they still get to lurk and doomscroll like the rest of us."

  2. TGG - I Saw 3 Hours of GTA 6 at Rockstar North - First Impressions (Exclusive Info) (opens in a new tab)

    At 15:58-16:20: "There's a full-on social media system like a lot of us were expecting. And yes, you can look on the in-game social media, see what other NPCs are posting, where they're posting it, and you could go to that location and possibly see the event unfolding in real time."

Does GTA 6 have social media?

Does GTA 6 have a wanted level?

Yes, and it runs to six stars, which Rubius said surprised him. Police who spot a crime build a description of you. GamesRadar+ counted four icons under the stars for your clothes, your face, your car and whether you are together. TGG describes the police logging that the pair were caught on CCTV, recognised as a couple, and known by outfit, appearance and weapon. IGN's account matches: your car, your clothing and whether you are moving as a couple or alone. Change any of them and the net loosens - GameSpot saw the car icon vanish when a car went into a garage, and Rubius says a change of clothes or dropping glasses and masks throws them off.

6 sources
  1. Rockstar Games - Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look (opens in a new tab)

    At 14:00-14:32:

  2. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "If you're spotted committing a crime, police will respond and, depending on the situation, will get a description of you, your car, your clothing, and whether or not you're walking around as a couple or separately."

  3. GameSpot - GTA 6 Returns To Six-Star Wanted Levels (opens in a new tab)

    "One of the icons, a car, disappears when Jason or Lucia hide a car in a garage, for example."

  4. GamesRadar+ - GTA 6 wanted system goes up to 6 stars and lets police track your face, your clothes, and your car (opens in a new tab)

    "Just below that, we see four icons representing how much the police recognize about Jason and Lucia: their clothes, their faces, their car, and the fact that they're together."

  5. TGG - GTA 6: The Police are Smarter Than Ever | Deep Dive (opens in a new tab)

    At 01:47-02:38: "They've been recognized by CCTV. They've been recognized as a couple. Their outfits are known to the law. Their appearance is known to the law, as well as the weapons they're using."

  6. Rubius - Esto es GTA VI (GAMEPLAY + EXCLUSIVA) (opens in a new tab)

    At 11:39-12:08: "me sorprendió ver que podíamos llegar hasta las seis estrellas ... La policía puede recordar cosas como tu cara, tu ropa o tu vehículo. Si te escondes y te cambias de ropa o te quitas accesorios como gafas o máscaras, puedes despistarlos."

Does GTA 6 have a wanted level?

Can you steal any car in GTA 6?

You can carjack any driver, but some parked cars stay off limits until the story hands you the tools. Nelson told IGN that much, and told TGG the detail: hot-wiring needs nothing, but not every car can be hot-wired, so some need a key cloner - smash the window and get in, but it will not start without one. Kotaku reported the same key cloner rule. IGN adds that some cars carry GPS trackers that force a fast getaway, and both leads have a phone app that scans a car for trackers and shows what it sells for.

4 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "you start off the game and there are certain parked cars that are not accessible to you until you get a bit further along with the story and you acquire certain tools to get into them, but you can always carjack any driver you see."

  2. Kotaku - For The First Time In 25+ Years, GTA 6 Will Make Stealing Cars Hard (opens in a new tab)

    "Some vehicles need a key cloner to start. You can smash the window and get in, but you can't start it without the key cloner."

  3. TGG - GTA 6: Vehicles Work Differently Now | Exclusive Deep Dive (opens in a new tab)

    At 03:13-03:31: "Rob Nelson actually told me you don't need anything to hot-wire, but not all vehicles can be hot-wired. We've added some stratification to the vehicles. Some vehicles need a key cloner to start. Smash the window and get in, but you can't start it without the key cloner."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 06:28-06:52: "A fancy car might come equipped with an electronic lock and require a key cloner, or even have a GPS locator, which forces you to drive fast to avoid getting tracked. To help you out, Jason and Lucia have a scanning app installed on their phones that will reveal if the car you're looking at is equipped with such technology, as well as how much you can make selling it"

Can you steal any car in GTA 6?

Is driving harder in GTA 6?

Rob Nelson says so. He told IGN the streets are narrower and more realistic in scale, and with denser traffic that makes driving slightly more challenging and, in his words, requires a bit of skill. TGG, watching at Rockstar North, put it more bluntly: traffic density is crazy next to earlier games, the roads are narrower than GTA 5's, and you are squeezing through sometimes. In IGN's demo Lucia lost the police on a scooter rather than a car.

3 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "The streets in this game are narrower and more realistic in terms of scale. Which, in addition to all the density of the traffic on the roads, makes driving slightly more challenging and requires a bit of skill"

  2. TGG - GTA 6: Vehicles Work Differently Now | Exclusive Deep Dive (opens in a new tab)

    At 12:32-12:41: "traffic density is crazy compared to previous games. Also, the roads are narrower than GTA 5. So, you've got to maybe try and drive a little bit better because you're just squeezing through sometimes."

  3. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 05:54-06:07: "Lucia got away on one of those scooters that lie around in big cities. A smart move, considering that making a getaway behind the wheel is now more of a challenge than players have experienced before."

Is driving harder in GTA 6?

Does GTA 6 have gambling or a casino?

Rockstar has not announced a casino or any gambling for GTA 6, and the story mode has no real-money spending - Rob Nelson answered no when Kinda Funny asked about microtransactions, per GamesRadar+. Any casino would belong to an online mode Rockstar has not announced. GTA Online's Diamond Casino, whose chips cannot be cashed out, is blocked in over fifty countries, Australia included since July 2026.

4 sources
  1. GamesRadar+ - GTA 6 doesn't feature microtransactions or AI, Rockstar says, but I doubt its take on GTA Online won't have Shark Cards (opens in a new tab)

    "hosts Andy Cortez and Greg Miller share that they asked Rob Nelson – co-studio head at Rockstar North – whether there will be microtransactions in the game and whether generative AI was used during the development of GTA 6, with Nelson reportedly simply saying "no.""

  2. Rockstar Games - Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 (opens in a new tab)

    "Grand Theft Auto VI is a single player experience, coming November 19 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S."

  3. PCGamesN - Players in over 50 countries are unable to gamble in GTA Online's Diamond Casino update (opens in a new tab)

    "Players in over 50 countries are unable to gamble in GTA Online's Diamond Casino update"

  4. Dexerto - GTA Online's casino locked for another country after seven years of gambling (opens in a new tab)

    "It is possible that this removal is preemptive and they will implement an age verification system that is sufficient to give adults access again at a later date, time will tell"

Does GTA 6 have gambling or a casino?

Does the relationship between Jason and Lucia affect GTA 6?

It affects the story, and the sources differ on whether it touches gameplay. IGN's account: time together builds the relationship, Nelson says whether you nurture it has a bearing on how their story plays out, there is no dumping either lead, and being the perfect couple carries no gameplay benefit. Rubius came away saying that abandoning your partner in a shootout angers them, and that a strained relationship affects things like how well heists go. Kinda Funny asked Nelson in Scotland whether Lucia ever gets in your face; his answer was that the last thing they would do is put you in a nagging relationship. Police also log whether you are together, so TGG and Rubius both note that splitting up is one way to lose them.

5 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "Whether you've nurtured the relationship or not will definitely have a bearing on how their story plays out."

  2. Rubius - Esto es GTA VI (GAMEPLAY + EXCLUSIVA) (opens in a new tab)

    At 18:07-18:16: "Si dejas a uno abandonado en un tiroteo, se enfadará y afectará la relación. Y si afecta la relación, afectará cosas de gameplay, como, por ejemplo, lo bien que salen los atracos."

  3. Kinda Funny Games - We Visited Rockstar! GTA 6 Extended Look Live Reaction - Kinda Funny Gamescast (opens in a new tab)

    At 139:22-139:44: "I travel to Scotland where we asked that question ... does Lucia ever get in your face or something? And Rob says, the last thing we were going to do is put you in a nagging relationship."

  4. IGN - We've Seen GTA 6 Gameplay IRL - The First Preview (opens in a new tab)

    At 02:52-03:14: "The more time you hang out together, the better your relationship. Can you force them to break up if you say treat Jason like human wallpaper? No. There's no dumping your significant other completely ... Equally, being the perfect couple doesn't have any gameplay benefits, making it completely optional."

  5. TGG - I Saw 3 Hours of GTA 6 at Rockstar North - First Impressions (Exclusive Info) (opens in a new tab)

    At 15:22-15:29: "They also recognize if you were with Lucia. Like, if Jason and Lucia are together, they're going to recognize that. So, you might want to split up."

Does the relationship between Jason and Lucia affect GTA 6?

Does GTA 6 have online or multiplayer?

GTA 6 ships as a single player game. Rockstar states directly that "Grand Theft Auto VI is a single player experience", with no online or multiplayer mode announced for launch. The studio has said nothing about a future online component, and has not ruled one out either.

1 source
  1. Rockstar Games - Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 (opens in a new tab)

    "Grand Theft Auto VI is a single player experience, coming November 19 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S."

Does GTA 6 have online or multiplayer?

Do character stats return in GTA 6?

Yes. Weight and muscle are back for the first time since San Andreas, per IGN. Dazed, interviewing Nelson, says food affects Jason and Lucia's weight while exercise visibly builds and tones muscle. TGG got the mechanics from Nelson: you get heavy if you eat too much, though it takes quite a bit, and you lose muscle if you stop maintaining it. Rockstar has not published the full list of stats.

3 sources
  1. IGN - GTA 6 Exclusive Preview (opens in a new tab)

    "Stats and attributes like weight and muscle return for the first time since GTA: San Andreas."

  2. Dazed - GTAVI: An exclusive deep dive into the video game of the decade (opens in a new tab)

    "Food affects Jason and Lucia's weight, while exercising visibly builds and tones their muscles."

  3. TGG - GTA 6: Gyms, Basketball, Fishing, Hunting and Everything Else | Deep Dive (opens in a new tab)

    At 05:13-05:23: "In terms of gaining and losing weight, I did ask Rob about that. He said, You get heavy if you eat too much, but you actually have to go eat quite a bit. You'll lose muscle if you have a lot and you stop maintaining it."

Do character stats return in GTA 6?