Everything Rockstar Just Confirmed About GTA 6 Gameplay In The Extended Look

It's nearly time for the most exciting video game release in years. "Grand Theft Auto VI" will finally become a reality for gamers all over the world on November 19, 2026. Ahead of the game's release, but well after "GTA 6" became available for pre-order, Rockstar offered fans a look at the game during an exclusive Netflix-hosted event on August 27. The developers gave fans their first taste of what "GTA 6" will actually be like, and now the excitement surrounding the game has reached a fever pitch.

A hacker called Cyberleek started releasing "GTA 6" info online ahead of the preview, but fans were still ready for Rockstar's official look at the game. Going into the event, gamers were hoping for a peek at the "GTA 6" map, an examination of the game's mechanics, and a handful of hints about the main story. They got that and more. Rockstar revealed some major gameplay details about "GTA 6," and now we have a better idea than ever before of what the game will actually be like and just how advanced it is compared to everything that Rockstar has made before.

Every game in the "Grand Theft Auto" series features combat mechanics, but that hasn't always been the franchise's strong suit. Fans have occasionally complained about the gunplay in the "GTA" games, even though most would agree that the mechanics have always been more or less serviceable. "GTA" is a bit of a jack of all trades that straddles the line between multiple different video game genres, and fans enjoy that aspect of the series enough to forgive its relatively basic third-person shooting.

From what we've seen in the "GTA 6" extended look, Rockstar's latest game isn't going to transform the series' approach to third-person combat, but it is going to give us an extremely polished version of the "GTA" combat mechanics that gamers have come to know. In the gameplay footage, we see both Jason and Lucia use pistols, automatic rifles, and shotguns. In one sequence, Jason takes cover in an apartment building hallway while he and Lucia use peek-and-shoot to lay down covering fire. During the fight, we see Jason shoot at his enemies' legs to disable them without killing them outright. Later, Jason shoots down a helicopter from the backseat of a car. Nothing here looks totally revolutionary, but the enhanced cover shooting mechanics and ability to disable combatants will certainly add some depth to the standard "GTA" gunplay.

Criminal activity has always been one of the main ways to engage with the world of the "Grand Theft Auto" games. Whether it's shooting out a drug dealer's apartment or stealing a sports car to drive around in style, "GTA" players turn to crime when they're short on money, ready to advance the story, or are simply starting to feel a little bored. We've always assumed that "GTA 6" would add more depth to the types of crimes that players engage in throughout the game, but now we've seen some of the ways that Rockstar is making crime more fun and rewarding than ever.

In previous "GTA" games, a single button press could make player characters open a door and drive off with a new set of wheels, occasionally after throwing a pre-existing driver onto the side of the road. In the "GTA 6" extended look, we see Jason steal a car and some options that weren't available in previous games. Players seemingly have the option to use a shim to steal cars slowly and quietly, or to smash through the driver's-side window for a fast but potentially attention-grabbing theft.

The extended look also showed off multiple sequences in which Jason and Lucia rob stores. The duo takes on convenience stores, gas stations, and phone shops. All those robbery shots indicate that low-level, freeform criminal activity will play a much bigger role in "GTA 6" than it has in any previous game in the series.

It wouldn't be a proper "Grand Theft Auto" game without some high-speed car chases with the police. Longtime fans will be happily unsurprised to learn that "GTA 6" is bringing back the five-star wanted system that has been an integral feature in so many previous games. We see the Wanted system at work throughout the "GTA 6" extended look on Netflix, and the mechanic appears to be largely unchanged from previous games. Crimes garner attention; that attention leads to more stars, and more stars lead to more heavily armed police units chasing down players.

We're happy that the Wanted system is back in "GTA 6," and we're incredibly thrilled by the hints of small changes to the system that we saw in the extended look. At one point in the 25-minute preview, we see Lucia hide a pistol behind her back to avoid attention from nearby NPCs, suggesting a level of realism that previous "GTA" games simply didn't have. It looks as though players will need to work harder than ever to make sure their crimes go unnoticed, but that level of detail also comes with some gameplay advantages. 

In another sequence, we see police officers chasing Jason and Lucia's car, but by swapping vehicles entirely, the duo is able to drive past a squad of police cruisers without grabbing their attention. It looks like "GTA 6" is going to be taking a more realistic and immersive approach to criminal activity across the board, and we can't wait to see what other gameplay possibilities that choice enables.

The "Grand Theft Auto" games have made playable side activities a part of the franchise's formula for a long time. Going bowling with friends in "GTA 4" or taking lessons at flight school in "GTA 5" offered a change of pace from the main stories of both games and helped the settings feel more lived-in and real. To no one's surprise, Rockstar has expanded the selection of side activities in "GTA 6," and it looks as though this version of Leonidas will be the liveliest setting the developer has ever created.

The "GTA 6" extended look on Netflix showed off a handful of different side activities and minigames that will be available in the final release, and it seems reasonable to assume that there will be many more to discover when the game debuts in November. So far, we've seen multiple different types of racing, from sportscars to dirt bikes, and it looks as though either of the game's two protagonists will be able to put their driving skills to the test. In another scene, we also see Lucia start an epic-looking parasailing trip.

The extended look also showed us some minigames and minor activities that will have a real impact on Jason and Lucia. We see Jason pulling drinks from a fridge and stopping for a bite at a fast-food restaurant, two different activities that we know will affect Jason's weight and in-game appearance. We also see a weightlifting minigame in which Lucia tests her strength on the bench press, not unlike the workouts CJ could complete in "GTA: San Andreas."

Ahead of the "Grand Theft Auto 6" extended preview, Rockstar officially confirmed character switching will be a major feature in the game. The extended look answered some of our questions about the system, but it also spurred new ones.

Anyone who played "GTA 5" will already be somewhat familiar with how the new game will handle character transitions. Jason and Lucia will often work together in the game, and most of the missions we glimpsed in the extended look featured the two of them cooperating. When they are separated, however, each character will be able to go wherever they want in Leonidas. Switching between the two when they're far apart will involve a quick bird's-eye view cutscene, like the ones featured in "GTA 5" but faster. When the two of them are closer together, such as when Lucia is driving and Jason is firing guns from the back of a car, the transitions seem relatively seamless.

What we don't know is whether or not the game will ever restrict character transitions. We don't see a complete mission from beginning to end in the extended look, but in the bits of missions the trailer shows, it seems the characters occasionally move through scripted moments. That could mean players won't always be able to switch between Jason and Lucia, or it could suggest that missions will be so open and variable that every playthrough will be different. 

We'll have to wait for further word from Rockstar to know for sure.