| Playable | Jason and Lucia, together or apart |
|---|---|
| Wanted level | Up to six stars |
| Main footage | An Extended Look, August 27, 2026 |
Most of what we know about how GTA VI actually plays comes from An Extended Look, Rockstar’s 27-minute gameplay film. Some of the finer details come from journalists who saw longer demos and wrote previews. We’ve kept the two apart below, because a preview writer’s description isn’t the same as Rockstar showing it.
Playing as Jason and Lucia
You can switch between the two, and the film shows it happening during missions as well as in free roam. When they’re together it’s quick. When they’re apart it works a lot like switching in GTA V, with the camera pulling out to find the other one. Previews describe a wheel with three options: solo Jason, solo Lucia, or the pair together.
There’s also a lot of the two of them just being a couple: getting ready to go out, holding hands, hanging around the safehouse. Some previews say the relationship can change how the story plays out. Rockstar hasn’t explained how, so treat that one as unconfirmed.
Shooting and fighting
Gunfights use cover, a weapon wheel and a slow-motion aim that highlights where a shot will drop or just disable someone. You can grab weapons off the ground and fight hand to hand with whatever’s lying around. One fight in the film ends with a stiletto heel. Shooting out tires is still the easiest way to lose a cop car. Grand Theft Wiki notes the footage also shows deeper weapon customization, with engravings, tints and liveries.
Police and the wanted level
The wanted level goes up to six stars, and the police are a lot more persistent than in GTA V: patrol cars, armed officers on foot, helicopters. Previews say cops now go on what you look like, what you’re wearing and what you’re driving, so changing clothes or ditching the car matters. They also mention a criminal profile that remembers how you behave over time and doesn’t reset when the stars do. Both of those come from previews rather than the film itself.
Things to do between jobs
The film crams a lot in between missions. Here is what we spotted:
| Type | What was shown |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball, pool, weightlifting, shooting range |
| On the water | Swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, jet skis, fanboats, fishing |
| Outdoors | Hunting, base jumping, parachuting |
| Racing | Car races and dirt bike races |
| Nightlife | Bars and clubs |
| At home | TV, food and drink from the fridge, a dog you can pet, scold or study |
| Phone | Social media feeds and a livestream-style video |
Fitness, food and sleep
According to previews, what Jason and Lucia eat, how much they work out and how much they sleep all change how they look. It sounds a lot like San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption 2. We’ll find out how deep it goes on November 19.
Radio and podcasts on foot
This one Rockstar confirmed itself. Radio and a new set of on-demand podcasts play in vehicles and on foot, through headphones or earbuds hooked up to Jason and Lucia’s phones. More on the radio stations page.
What we don't know yet
Mission count, story length, how many properties you can own, and the online side of things. A Rockstar North developer was quoted guessing his own playthrough at about 80 hours, but that’s one person’s run, not an official figure. For online, see GTA Online and GTA 6.
Sources
Facts on this page come from Rockstar Games: the Rockstar Newswire, Rockstar Support and the official GTA VI site, plus recaps and previews of An Extended Look from Red Bull and KeenGamer, which also draw on IGN’s Rockstar North preview. Screenshots and artwork are official Rockstar Games images, sourced through Grand Theft Wiki. Last checked on November 11, 2026. Anything Rockstar has not said is marked as not announced or as a rumor.