GTA 6 gameplay features: every new system Rockstar has described

Grand Theft Auto VI puts you in control of two criminals, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, and lets you switch between them at almost any time. Rockstar developers have described a long list of new systems for GTA 6, from an optional relationship and a profile that tracks what kind of criminal you are to hurricanes, more than 170 animal species and a phone app for sizing up cars to steal.

Rockstar's own site and Newswire confirm that GTA 6 is a single-player experience and describe a few systems, such as garages and customization shops. Most of the detail comes from three rounds of press. IGN visited Rockstar North for a hands-off preview and interviewed Rob Nelson, head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North; that coverage ran Aug. 27, the day Rockstar released An Extended Look, a 26-minute video captured from in-game footage on PlayStation 5. The New York Times reported on the game the same day. Game Informer's cover story followed on Sept. 29. Below, each detail is credited to the person and outlet it came from. GTA 6 launches Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. For a running list of what is and is not confirmed, see our confirmed-facts ledger.

Switching between Jason and Lucia

IGN's preview says you can swap between Jason and Lucia at almost any time, or play with the two of them together. Nelson told IGN that after GTA V, the team debated adding more lead characters, down to asking whether the next game should have four, before choosing two people in a relationship.

Rockstar's official bios set up the pair. Jason is an Army veteran working for drug runners in the Leonida Keys who wants an easier life. Lucia is recently out of the Leonida Penitentiary and determined to make smart moves. Our characters guide covers the rest of the cast.

The relationship is optional

Jason and Lucia's relationship grows through the time you spend together, and you can leave it alone. Nelson told IGN: "It's not something that we want to foist upon players." He listed everyday activities that build it, such as playing pool, mini golf and kayaking, along with robbing stores or banks as a pair and small gestures like texting, holding hands and holding doors.

The two stay partners in crime whether or not you invest in the relationship, Nelson said, but whether you nurtured it will affect how their story plays out. IGN adds that a strong relationship gives no gameplay bonus and that you cannot break the pair up. Game Informer's cover story went further: according to IGN's report of it, Rockstar confirmed that choices big and small shape both the relationship and the wider story.

The Criminal Profile

Separate from the relationship, GTA 6 keeps track of what kind of criminal you are. Nelson told IGN about this system, referred to in coverage as the Criminal Profile: consistent, unnecessary violence shifts it, and there is no right or wrong way to play. During the preview, IGN saw that throwing away trash seemed to help, and Nelson said feeding animals is another option.

Rockstar has not named the profile's categories. Labels such as "Professional" and "Psycho" that circulate online come from a content creator's report, not from Rockstar.

Police and the wanted system

A crime only draws the police if someone witnesses it or it sets off an alarm, Nelson told IGN. Once officers are looking for you, he said, they track your vehicle, your description and whether you are together as a couple.

That gives you ways out. Nelson said splitting Jason and Lucia up weakens the police's read on you, and that in the city, escaping on foot through alleys is often the best option. IGN adds that switching cars or changing clothes also helps. The classic "Busted" outcome is still in the game, according to IGN's report of the Game Informer story.

Robberies

You can pull robberies alone or as a pair, quietly or loudly, and how far things escalate sets the police response, according to IGN's report of Game Informer's cover story. Robbing stores and banks together is also one of the activities Nelson named as part of the relationship.

Rockstar's official synopsis says Jason and Lucia are drawn into a criminal conspiracy when an easy score goes wrong, and one of the eight characters on Rockstar's site, Raul Bautista, is a veteran bank robber who recruits crews.

Stealing cars: tiers, tools and the phone scanner

Not every car is equally easy to take. Nelson told IGN that vehicles now come in tiers, and some parked cars need tools you unlock later in the game. One car might need a key cloner, he said, while another needs only a Slim Jim. You can always carjack any driver you see. Nelson also said driving is harder in dense traffic.

Your phone helps you pick a target. Nelson told IGN a scanner on the phone shows a car's locks, alarms and trackers, plus its resale value and registration cost. IGN, reporting Game Informer's story, names the app WAiNK and says stolen cars go to a fence. For the vehicles Rockstar has named so far, see our vehicles database.

NPCs and the world

Nelson told IGN that the people of Leonida notice you: stand too close to a group and they should realize you are eavesdropping. Some may be armed or aggressive, and Nelson said the player is no longer all-powerful.

Rockstar has put a lot of work into those people. IGN, in its Nelson interview, and The New York Times, quoting Aaron Garbut, co-studio head at Rockstar North, both report that Rockstar set up a team in Los Angeles dedicated to NPC dialogue and characters. Rockstar told the Times the game has over 600,000 animations, compared with 55,000 in GTA V and 300,000 in Red Dead Redemption 2, and Garbut said the team art-directed each one, as reported by TechRadar and GamesRadar+. Nelson told IGN that NPCs vary more in height and body shape than ever, and a Game Informer caption says the same about body types and physical features.

The world is built differently too. Nelson told IGN the streets are narrower and more realistic in scale, and called Leonida a very big map. Garbut told Game Informer the map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's, according to IGN's and KitGuru's reports of the story. Our Leonida map guide covers the six regions.

Character stats: eating and gyms

Jason and Lucia's bodies respond to how you play. Nelson told IGN that eating has a dramatic effect on your health and that there are gyms where you can work out. According to IGN, overeating adds weight, and going to the gym together trains both characters.

In its preview, IGN saw on-screen stats for height, weight, sleep, nutrition, calories, muscle, fat and strength. That list is IGN's observation of the build it was shown, not a Rockstar statement, so the exact stats are not confirmed.

Safehouses, garages and customization

Nelson told IGN that safehouses are more interactive than before, probably closer to the camps in Red Dead Redemption 2 than to the safehouses of earlier GTA games.

Rockstar's descriptions of two garages show what they are for. The Shore Court garage near Ocean Beach, part of the Vintage Vice City Pack pre-order bonus, comes with a weapon locker and a place to stash stolen goods for fencing. Rockstar describes Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, where the Ultimate Edition's Dominator Buggy is kept, as somewhere secure to leave stolen goods for fencing.

Rockstar's Ultimate Edition descriptions also name mod shops, a tattoo parlor, a salon for hair, facial hair, makeup and nails, and a clothing store. Those specific shops are Ultimate Edition exclusives; our price and editions guide lists them. Michael Kane, Rockstar's VP of dynamic art, told Game Informer the team created its biggest range of garments and accessories yet, according to IGN.

Weather, tropical storms and hurricanes

Leonida gets tropical storms and hurricanes, Game Informer reports. Rockstar did not say how often they happen or how they affect gameplay or the story.

Owen Shepherd, Rockstar's VP of art for lighting and rendering, told Game Informer that Rockstar rebuilt its weather system so conditions are far more localized and persistent, with dynamic clouds, as reported by IGN and Kotaku. According to Game Informer, you can stand in sunshine and watch rain in the distance, puddles stay after a shower, and rainbows appear when the light is right. Shepherd also described the wind, per Kotaku: offshore breezes after sunset, updrafts, wind blocked by buildings, ripples across the water and swamp grass that bends.

Wildlife: over 170 species

Game Informer reports that Leonida has over 170 animal species across land, air and sea. Named examples include flamingos, manatees, pelicans, alligators, green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats and rhesus macaque monkeys. Kotaku and VICE report that the count includes over 60 types of birds and more than 30 land mammals, and that Leonida's waters hold sharks, whales, rays, turtles and jellyfish.

Certain animals are categorized as Rare, Discoverable or Legendary, according to Game Informer. Rockstar has not revealed which animals are Legendary. Game Informer also describes new hair and fur systems, varied feather types, and effects such as iridescence, bioluminescence and translucency. Kane told Game Informer, per IGN, that Rockstar wanted to faithfully include Florida's diverse animal ecosystem.

Rockstar's own region pages point to where the wildlife is. Grassrivers is home to gators and deadlier predators, and Mount Kalaga offers hunting, fishing and off-road trails.

Side activities

Game Informer's cover story names these activities, according to IGN:

• Base jumping
• Billiards
• Gyms
• Kayaking
• Mini golf
• Scuba diving
• Street and off-road racing
• Zoos
• Air boating
• Jet skiing

Rockstar's own site adds hunting, fishing and off-road trails in Mount Kalaga, and describes the Ultimate Edition's Shitzu Squalo boat as a way to go fishing in Gambit Bay.

Social media and ride-share fast travel

GTA 6 has fast travel by ride-share. According to IGN's report of the Game Informer story, you can hop in a ride-share car and ride along with other passengers you can talk to. Rockstar has not confirmed the ride-share app's name.

The same report says you can browse Snapmatic, the in-game social media app, but you cannot post on it yourself.

Length: Nelson's 80-hour playthrough

Rockstar has not given an official length. Nelson told The New York Times his own playthrough took about 80 hours, including the main story and some optional goals with narrative consequences, as reported by TechRadar. That is one developer's playthrough, not an official completion time.

Rockstar's Ultimate Edition text says new items are uncovered behind each chapter, so the story is split into chapters. According to IGN's report of the Game Informer story, the campaign is designed to move you around the map.

Not confirmed yet

Several features people expect have not been confirmed by Rockstar or by a named developer:

• Frame rate. Rockstar has not announced 30 or 60 frames per second. Headlines saying Rockstar "confirms 30fps" trace to a YouTuber's secondhand account.
• Photo mode and first-person mode. Not announced.
• Fuel, a "Focus" ability, and police hidden from the minimap. These come from content creators, not Rockstar.
• Criminal Profile category names and the ride-share app's name. Not stated by Rockstar.
• Online mode and PC. GTA 6 launches as a single-player game on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. See Does GTA 6 have online? and Is GTA 6 on PC?

The full list is on our not-confirmed ledger.

Update log

• Oct. 8, 2026: The bird, mammal and sea-life details now cite Kotaku and VICE. We removed a detail about meeting sea life while scuba diving, which we could only find in a report we couldn't open.