IGN Reveals New GTA 6 Gameplay Details: Police, Robberies, Relationships, Car Theft & More

IGN has revealed dozens of new GTA 6 gameplay details after visiting Rockstar North and watching an extended live gameplay demonstration, offering fresh information on Jason and Lucia, the wanted system, robberies, vehicle theft, NPC interactions, story choices and much more.

The preview was based on gameplay demonstrated by Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson and provides one of the most detailed looks yet at how Grand Theft Auto VI expands upon systems previously seen in GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Jason and Lucia's Relationship

As previously confirmed, GTA 6 allows players to switch between Jason and Lucia while exploring the open world, although character switching may occasionally be restricted during certain story sequences.

When controlling one character, players can choose to remain alone or ask the other protagonist to join them for activities, jobs or simply to spend time together.

• Jason and Lucia can be called upon to join each other in the open world.
• While travelling together, players can switch seats and allow the other character to drive.
• During chases, players can sit in the passenger seat and shoot while their partner drives.
• Jason and Lucia can dynamically text each other about everyday events, including going to bed or returning home late.
• Ignoring some messages can negatively affect their relationship.
• The pair begin the story interested in developing a romantic relationship, but players can decide whether that romance actually develops.
• Spending time together outside missions helps strengthen their relationship.
• Activities that can strengthen their bond include shopping, exercising, exploring Leonida, visiting salons and committing robberies together.
• Jason and Lucia remain loyal partners regardless of whether their relationship becomes romantic.
• The strength of their relationship can affect how certain parts of the story play out.
• Romance provides no specific gameplay bonuses and is primarily a roleplaying and narrative choice.
• Jason and Lucia can hold hands while walking together.
• They can also perform smaller contextual interactions such as holding doors open for one another.

Safehouses, Appearance and Personal Vehicles

GTA 6's safehouses appear to be considerably more interactive than those seen in previous Grand Theft Auto games, taking some inspiration from the camp system in Red Dead Redemption 2.

• Jason and Lucia can live together in the same safehouse.
• Both protagonists continue to follow their own individual schedules while living together.
• Other characters can visit or spend time at safehouses.
• Some safehouses may belong to other characters rather than Jason or Lucia.
• Players can shave or shorten their hair and facial hair while at home.
• New hairstyles still need to be purchased at salons or barbers.
• Each protagonist can own multiple personal vehicles.
• Personal vehicles can be stored at safehouses.
• Vehicle trunks work as functional storage spaces.
• Weapons and spare clothing can be stored inside vehicle trunks.
• Different clothing stores and salons offer exclusive items and hairstyles.

Weight, Muscle and Health

Jason and Lucia's physical appearance can change depending on the player's lifestyle choices.

• Exercise increases muscle and physical strength.
• Overeating causes Jason and Lucia to gain weight.
• Eating provides a substantial health boost.
• Exercise and eating activities can be performed either alone or as a couple.

A Much More Detailed Open World

Rockstar describes GTA 6's map as "very big", although the studio has not provided an exact comparison with GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2.

Individual regions across Leonida have been designed with distinct architecture, populations and cultures intended to make different areas feel noticeably different from one another.

• The pause-menu map uses detailed satellite-style imagery rather than GTA V's simplified street map.
• Rockstar wants exploration to be rewarded rather than having every activity immediately marked on the map.
• Random encounters and unusual characters can lead to spontaneous activities.
• IGN encountered a lawyer sitting inside a dumpster who asked for pills and offered legal advice in return.
• Taxi fast travel returns through an app called Ryde Me.
• Players can continue conversations with passengers while travelling in taxis.
• GTA 6 features more radio and television advertisements than any previous Grand Theft Auto game.
• Examples shown included an antidepressant named Angstipan and a 30,000-calorie Prairie Sandwich.

Snapmatic and the Phone

Snapmatic returns in GTA 6, although Jason and Lucia's status as criminals means they cannot freely upload photographs of themselves.

• Jason and Lucia avoid posting photographs because they are attempting to limit their digital footprint.
• Players can still browse Snapmatic.
• Accounts can be followed and other users' content can be viewed.
• The phone is now represented as a physical object held by the character rather than simply appearing as a traditional HUD overlay.
• When using it, the camera moves closer towards the phone in the character's hand.

Activities

A wide range of side activities are confirmed throughout Leonida.

• Pool
• Mini golf
• Kayaking
• Zoo visits
• Scuba diving
• Parachuting
• Gym workouts

Wildlife can also be studied and added to a checklist in a system similar to Red Dead Redemption 2. Dogs can be petted, while players can apparently also choose to scold them.

More Reactive NPCs

NPCs are considerably more varied in GTA 6, with Rockstar creating a much broader range of body shapes, heights and appearances than in its previous games.

Animations dynamically adjust depending on a character's size, helping NPCs interact more naturally with objects and other people around them.

• NPC interaction expands upon Red Dead Redemption 2's conversation system.
• Options include Greet, Taunt, Defuse and Provoke.
• Players can stand near NPCs and listen to their conversations.
• NPCs may notice when someone is eavesdropping and confront the player.
• Characters can similarly become suspicious if Jason or Lucia follows them for too long.
• NPCs can spontaneously become aggressive.
• Ordinary civilians throughout Leonida may also be carrying weapons.
• Ambient dialogue and conversations can trigger activities and emergent events.
• Jason and Lucia can spontaneously suggest nearby activities or jobs while travelling through the world.

New Focus System

GTA 6 introduces a new Focus system that highlights useful objects and other points of interest in the environment.

The system can also be used while attempting to avoid law enforcement, helping players identify useful locations and opportunities while escaping.

Completely Reworked Police and Wanted System

One of the biggest changes revealed during IGN's preview involves GTA 6's police and Wanted Level systems.

Rather than police automatically knowing when a crime has taken place, an offence must first be witnessed by an NPC or trigger some form of alarm.

• Police receive information based on what witnesses actually saw.
• The location of a crime becomes a temporary "hot area" on the map.
• Police continue searching the original crime scene even after Jason or Lucia have escaped the immediate area.
• The area eventually cools down if police fail to locate the suspect.
• The six-star Wanted Level returns after GTA V reduced the maximum to five stars.
• A one-star Wanted Level should generally be relatively easy to escape.
• Higher Wanted Levels become particularly difficult within Vice City's narrow and heavily populated streets.
• Running, climbing and jumping have been reworked to make on-foot escapes smoother.

Police Remember Your Appearance

Police can now build up specific information about the suspect they are attempting to locate.

• Police can identify Jason or Lucia's physical appearance.
• They can separately identify the clothing the suspect was wearing.
• The HUD displays icons indicating what information police currently know.
• Changing hairstyle can invalidate the physical description police have been given.
• Simply changing a hat or putting on glasses is not enough to hide clothing information.
• Players need to change into an entirely different outfit.
• Keeping spare clothes inside a personal vehicle therefore has a practical gameplay purpose.

Masks and CCTV

Masks now play a meaningful role in avoiding identification.

If Jason or Lucia wears a mask while committing a crime and removes it afterwards, police may never receive an accurate description of the suspect's appearance — even when CCTV captured footage of the offence.

Police Can Identify Your Vehicle

Law enforcement can also receive information about the vehicle used during a crime.

• Police can recognise the vehicle being driven by a suspect.
• Abandoning a known vehicle and switching to another can reduce police attention.
• Jason and Lucia can split up while escaping if police know they are searching for a couple.
• Players can order their partner to flee while deliberately attracting police attention themselves.
• If the protagonists escape separately, the other character will later send a message confirming that they are safe.

Escaping a Wanted Level

Wanted stars can reportedly appear as hollow outlines when police know a crime has taken place but have not yet identified the suspect.

This creates an opportunity to quietly leave the area before being recognised rather than immediately triggering a traditional police chase.

If one protagonist is arrested, the traditional Busted screen still appears even if the other protagonist remains free elsewhere in the world.

Non-Lethal Combat

GTA 6 gives players more ways to end confrontations without necessarily killing everyone involved.

• Enemies can be incapacitated rather than killed.
• Shooting someone in the arms or legs may prevent them from continuing to fight.
• Weapons can be shot directly out of an enemy's hands.
• Simply aiming a weapon at someone can sometimes scare them away without firing.
• Particularly dramatic combat moments can trigger cinematic slow-motion camera effects similar to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Criminal Profile System

GTA 6 introduces a new Criminal Profile system which appears to serve a similar role to Red Dead Redemption 2's Honor system, although it is not presented as a simple good-versus-evil morality meter.

Instead, the system records the player's general pattern of behaviour and can influence how characters respond to Jason or Lucia.

• Unnecessary violence and chaotic behaviour can contribute towards the player's Criminal Profile.
• Even small actions can apparently influence it.
• One example shown by Rockstar involved choosing whether or not to properly dispose of rubbish.
• The system can affect how NPCs react to the protagonists.
• It may also influence how parts of the story develop.
• Violence required during missions or robberies does not necessarily negatively affect the Criminal Profile.

Money Matters More Than Ever

Rockstar intends for money to play a considerably more important role in GTA 6's story than it has in previous games.

At certain points, players may even need to earn a specific amount of money before additional main missions become available.

Major ways of making money include:

• Stealing and selling vehicles
• Holding up businesses
• Robbing stores
• Bank heists

More Complex Robberies

Robberies can be carried out individually as Jason or Lucia, or together as a pair. Completing criminal jobs together can also strengthen their relationship.

Rockstar is introducing a greater balance between speed and greed during robberies.

• Safes can sometimes be opened quickly using explosives.
• Explosions can damage some of the valuables inside, reducing the payout.
• Players can instead search the property for a safe combination.
• Taking additional time increases the risk of police arriving before the robbery is finished.
• Police can surround a store or bank and wait outside for the suspects to emerge.
• Many robbery locations contain alternative escape routes, including rear exits.

Fences Return

Stolen goods cannot necessarily be immediately converted into cash and instead need to be taken to appropriate fences.

• Jewellery and other stolen items can be sold to fences.
• Separate fences also deal with stolen vehicles.
• Fences can provide useful information about potential criminal opportunities.
• One example involved receiving the access code for a police impound containing vehicles that could be stolen and sold.

Vehicle Theft Has Been Completely Reinvented

Stealing parked vehicles is significantly more complicated in GTA 6 than simply smashing a window and driving away.

Vehicles now have different security tiers, with expensive and modern cars requiring more sophisticated equipment.

• Vehicles are categorised by security level.
• More expensive cars are harder to steal.
• A new phone app called WAINK can scan parked vehicles.
• The app displays the vehicle's estimated value.
• It reveals how much it would cost to register the vehicle as a personal car.
• It shows whether the car is locked.
• It identifies whether an alarm is fitted.
• It identifies whether the vehicle contains a tracker.

Different Tools Are Needed to Steal Cars

Different vehicles require different tools to gain entry.

• Older or less secure vehicles can be opened using a slim jim.
• Modern prestige vehicles may require a more advanced key-cloning device.
• Some vehicles cannot be stolen early in the game because the necessary tools have not yet been acquired.
• Traditional carjacking still works normally when a driver is already sitting inside the vehicle.

Stolen Vehicle Condition Affects Value

Players will also need to take care of vehicles they intend to sell.

• Damaged stolen cars are worth less money when delivered to a fence.
• Leonida's denser traffic and narrower streets make delivering pristine vehicles more challenging.
• Some high-end vehicles contain advanced tracking devices.
• Certain trackers alert police if the stolen car is driven too slowly.
• Players may therefore need to maintain speed or abandon the vehicle before police locate them.

Story Choices and Consequences

GTA 6's story includes both major and minor choices that can alter how events unfold.

• Small decisions can accumulate and eventually produce larger consequences.
• Major choices can immediately and significantly change events.
• The narrative has been designed to support repeat playthroughs.
• Open-world behaviour is being tied more closely to Jason and Lucia's personalities and individual stories.

More Freedom During Missions

Rockstar is also allowing greater freedom in how certain missions are completed.

• IGN saw a tower-block mission featuring multiple possible escape routes.
• Another mission allowed the player to decide whether to drive or sit in the passenger seat and shoot.
• One police chase suggested an optimal escape route without forcing the player to follow it.

Lucia's Ankle Monitor Is Important to the Story

Lucia's ankle monitor is more than a visual detail and will play a significant role in GTA 6's story.

According to IGN, the device is important to the circumstances that initially bring Lucia and Jason together.

Both protagonists also have extensive backstories, with Rockstar revealing some details directly while deliberately leaving others for players to discover or interpret.

Open World and Story Are More Closely Connected

Rockstar is attempting to reduce the traditional distinction between GTA's main missions and its open-world activities.

Rather than simply travelling from one mission marker to another, players are encouraged to explore Leonida, interact with characters and take part in spontaneous events that can tie back into Jason and Lucia's lives.

Rockstar Wants GTA 6's Writing to Remain Timeless

Grand Theft Auto's traditional satire remains a major part of GTA 6, although Rockstar is being more careful about relying heavily on short-lived political topics, memes or internet slang.

Because GTA 6 has spent many years in development, Rockstar wants its characters and humour to remain relevant rather than becoming dated before or shortly after release.

A Huge Evolution of GTA's Core Systems

While IGN presented its preview as 69 separate gameplay details, many of those individual entries reveal several mechanics at once.

Among the most significant revelations are the return of six-star Wanted Levels, police remembering the player's appearance and vehicle, disguises that genuinely affect police searches, a Criminal Profile system, significantly deeper robberies, optional relationship mechanics between Jason and Lucia, story choices with cumulative consequences and an entirely reworked system for stealing and selling vehicles.

Combined with the details revealed during Rockstar's GTA 6 Extended Look, the preview provides the clearest indication yet that Rockstar is attempting to make Leonida considerably more reactive and systemic than the worlds seen in its previous games.