10 systems
GTA 6 gameplay explained
On 27 August 2026 Rockstar showed 27 minutes of GTA 6 running on a PS5. That turned a game people had watched into a game that can be explained. These are its systems, one page each, written from the footage.
By MokeyUpdated
Most of what has been written about the Extended Look is a list of things that appeared in it. That is a different thing from understanding how they work, and how they work is what you will want to know at 9am on 19 November, when the wanted level is on you and the stars are hollow and nothing on the internet explains why.
Every page below is graded. Where Rockstar has not said something, it says so rather than filling the space.
How to read this page
- Source confidence: Confirmed
- Rockstar published it, on the official site, in a trailer, in the Extended Look or in a press release.
- Source confidence: Reported
- Multiple independent outlets agree and it traces back to Rockstar material, but Rockstar has not stated it directly.
- Source confidence: Unconfirmed
- A single source, a leak, community mapping or inference. Interesting, not established.
The systems
Wanted level
Source confidence: ConfirmedSix stars, and the police now build a description of you before they chase it.
Criminal Profile
Source confidence: ConfirmedA persistent record of whether you work like a professional or a maniac.
Jason and Lucia's relationship
Source confidence: ConfirmedBuildable, neglectable, and deliberately worth no stat bonus at all.
Car theft and WAINK
Source confidence: ConfirmedCars have security now, and your phone tells you what you are up against.
Robberies
Source confidence: ConfirmedEvery store in the state can be robbed, quietly or loudly.
Condition and appearance
Source confidence: ConfirmedDiet, training and sleep visibly change both protagonists.
The phone and its apps
Source confidence: ConfirmedA physical object the characters hold, with different apps for each of them.
Combat and gunplay
Source confidence: ConfirmedRDR2's weight with Max Payne 3's precision, and a real carry limit.
Switching between Jason and Lucia
Source confidence: ConfirmedFree switching, including mid-mission and mid-jump.
Travel and fast travel
Source confidence: ReportedBuses, trains, ride-hailing and a scooter courier who brings your car to you.
What is not here
Anything Rockstar has not shown. There is no page on the mission list, the ending, the trophy list or the cheat codes, because those do not exist outside the shipped game. There is a page explaining exactly that for cheats and trophies, since the question gets asked constantly and the honest answer is worth publishing.
There is also no online section, because GTA 6 has no online mode at launch.