What the Extended Look confirmed
Gameplay systems
For three years GTA 6's systems were guesswork. The 26-minute Extended Look on 27 August 2026 replaced most of that with footage. This is the consolidated systems list.
Short answer
What is new in GTA 6 gameplay?
GTA 6 adds free switching between Jason and Lucia, a six-star Wanted system, and a Criminal Profile reputation system. The phone is a physical held object, weapons use a limited loadout, body weight and muscle respond to eating and exercise, and there are over 600,000 individually art-directed NPC animations. Rockstar has not confirmed frame rate or first-person mode.
Character switching
The defining system. GTA V had three protagonists who barely acknowledged each other; GTA 6 has two who function as a unit.
Free switching across most of the game
ConfirmedYou can switch between Jason and Lucia at will in the open world. Some missions restrict you to a single character, and some force the choice. While you control one, the other continues going about their life independently.
In-vehicle seat switching
ConfirmedSwap seats mid-drive so one protagonist drives while the other shoots. This is the clearest expression of the “partners, not a roster” design.
Co-operative mission behaviour
ConfirmedDuring robberies the pair split roles — one keeping hostages controlled while the other works the registers — with a character selection wheel for switching viewpoint.
Splitting up under pursuit
ConfirmedUnder police pressure, the two can separate to divide police resources. One can stay behind so the other escapes; you receive a message confirming what happened to the one you left. Wanted system →
The relationship layer
Either character can text the other to spend time together. Shared activities — workouts, shopping, changing appearance, sightseeing, crime — strengthen the bond; ignoring messages weakens it. Bond strength affects certain story events and scenes. Romance is optional. More on the relationship →
Movement, traversal and Focus
Sprinting, vaulting and climbing were overhauled
ConfirmedRockstar rebuilt core traversal, explicitly to support escaping on foot through alleys and connecting streets. In Vice City's tight geography this is a real alternative to driving away.
A Focus mechanic
ConfirmedFocus reveals nearby objects and helps with evading police. It is the closest thing GTA 6 has to Red Dead's Eagle Eye, adapted to an urban context.
Animation work extends to the protagonists' bodies over time. Regular workouts build muscle and make Jason and Lucia visibly stronger; excessive eating adds weight. Meals restore significant health. This is the San Andreas body system returning with two decades of technology behind it.
Combat and gunplay
| Feature | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Quick swap | Switch between two firearms without opening the weapon wheel. | Confirmed |
| Fast pickup | Taking a weapon from a downed enemy is easier and faster. | Confirmed |
| One-handed weapons | Certain weapons can be wielded one-handed. | Confirmed |
| Targeting markers | Red markers indicate lethal shots; yellow markers around joints indicate non-lethal disarm or incapacitate options. | Confirmed |
| Non-lethal play | Shooting an arm or leg incapacitates rather than kills. An accurate shot can disarm an enemy outright. | Confirmed |
| Slow motion | A slow-motion shooting ability with kill-cam footage, in the lineage of Michael's ability in GTA V. | Confirmed |
| Cinematic kills | Particularly impressive acts of violence can trigger cinematic slow-motion camera angles. | Confirmed |
| Taser stamina | Being tasered depletes the stamina bar rather than simply dropping you, making the follow-up harder. | Leaked |
| Aiming | Described as more seamless overall. | Confirmed |
Why non-lethal matters here
It is not a difficulty option. What you do with these tools feeds the Criminal Profile, and unnecessary violence damages it.
The phone and social media
The phone is a physical object, not a HUD overlay
ConfirmedWhen you use it, the camera moves in closer to the character's hand. It is held, not summoned.
- Snapmatic returns as an Instagram parody Confirmed
- You cannot upload photos. Jason and Lucia are fugitives — you can browse posts, follow accounts and watch conversations, but not post Confirmed
- Ryde Me, a rideshare app for quick travel, with conversation during the ride Confirmed
- WAINK, which scans a vehicle for value, registration, lock status, alarm and tracking before you try to steal it Confirmed
- Messages from your partner inviting you to spend time together — ignoring them has consequences Confirmed
- Optional livestream feeds accessible with a button press during gameplay Confirmed
Not being able to post is a small decision that does a lot of work: it keeps the social layer as something you observe rather than perform in, which fits two people trying not to be found.
Safehouses, storage and appearance
A shared safehouse that works like an RDR2 camp
ConfirmedRather than a static GTA V apartment, the shared base has other characters coming and going, and more usable features than previous GTA homes. Some bases may belong to other characters rather than to you.
- Home grooming — haircuts and facial hair trimming at the safehouse; more elaborate styles need a barber or salon Confirmed
- Separate vehicle collections — Jason and Lucia each have their own Confirmed
- Usable trunks — store weapons and clothing in vehicle boots Confirmed
- Outfit changes as a mechanic — changing clothes conceals your identity from police who have a clothing description Confirmed
- Different shops, different selections — each barber, salon and clothing store carries its own options Confirmed
World interaction and NPCs
The 600,000-animation figure is the headline, but the behaviour built on top of it is the interesting part.
- Greet, taunt, provoke or defuse — a spread of interactions, not one button Confirmed
- NPCs notice when you eavesdrop. Linger near a private conversation and they call you out Confirmed
- Follow someone long enough and they confront you Confirmed
- Some residents are armed and start violence unprovoked Confirmed
- You can threaten without firing to stop a situation escalating Confirmed
- Ambient conversations can turn into activities or unexpected events Confirmed
- Wildlife can be examined and recorded in a checklist Confirmed
- Dogs can be petted, or scolded Confirmed
Rockstar is targeting past Red Dead Redemption 2 on ambient dialogue
ConfirmedPress previews report the stated ambition is to exceed RDR2 for NPC dialogue and spontaneous moments — the most demanding internal benchmark the studio could have set.
The open world also carries scripted oddities: press describe encountering a lawyer living in a dumpster who offers legal representation in exchange for pills.
HUD and interface
| Element | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-map | Buildings rendered in 3D rather than flat footprints. | Confirmed |
| Map screen | Detailed satellite-style imagery. | Confirmed |
| Vehicle condition | Shown alongside character health and wardrobe status. | Confirmed |
| Fuel & engine meters | Fuel level and engine condition, with refuelling at petrol stations. | Leaked |
| Wanted meter | Six stars plus icons beneath showing what police know. | Confirmed |
| Item wheel | Separate from the weapon wheel; holds gear including face coverings for robberies. | Confirmed |
| Weapon wheel | Redesigned to separate weapons, equipment and gear. | Confirmed |
| Livestreams | Optional in-world livestream feeds via a button press. | Confirmed |
| Binoculars | Available for reconnaissance. | Confirmed |
What Rockstar still has not said
Frame rate
UnconfirmedReporting points to 30 fps on a base PS5, with no confirmation of a PS5 Pro performance mode. Rockstar has not commented on frame rates for any platform.
First-person mode
UnconfirmedReportedly absent at launch. Rockstar has not confirmed this either way. GTA V shipped without first-person and added it in the next-gen re-release a year later.
Install size, accessibility options and difficulty settings
UnconfirmedNothing announced on any of the three.
For the systems Rockstar has confirmed but that need their own page, see: the Wanted system, the Criminal Profile, heists and money, vehicles, weapons and activities.
Common questions
Short, direct answers. Each one links to the section above that explains it in full.
Can you switch characters in GTA 6?#
Yes. You can switch between Jason and Lucia freely across most of the game, though some missions restrict you to one character. While you play as one, the other goes about their own life.
Does GTA 6 have a morality system?#
Yes, called the Criminal Profile. It does not sort actions into good and evil but tracks how you operate, changing NPC reactions and some story developments.
Does GTA 6 have first-person mode?#
Reportedly not at launch, though Rockstar has not confirmed this either way.
Can you get fat in GTA 6?#
Yes. Excessive eating increases body weight and regular workouts build muscle, in the tradition of GTA: San Andreas.
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of the following. Rockstar Games newswire posts and the official Extended Look are treated as primary; everything else is labelled in-line.