5 Key New GTA 6 Details Just Unveiled By Rockstar Games

Published Oct 7, 2026, 11:40 AM EDT Patricia is the former editor-in-chief of Kotaku, where she spent a decade writing and editing. Prior to that, she served as the Culture Editor at Polygon, and as a reporter at The Verge. Hernandez specializes in Pokémon TCG, Nintendo, and offbeat internet culture stories. Grand Theft Auto 6's developers reveal new aspects of the Wanted system, missions, NPCs, and more 5 brand-new GTA 6 details just revealed by Rockstar Image: Rockstar Games With a game as large as Grand Theft Auto 6, new previews are bound to touch on details fans haven't heard about yet. If fans believe they know about these ideas, they may come to find that GTA 6's gameplay is actually more complex than they originally thought. With only a few weeks before release, Rockstar Games is dishing out more of the game's tantalizing features. The latest dispatch comes from IGN in the form of a long-form interview with Rockstar Games' co-studio head, Rob Nelson, during a 30-minute playthrough of Grand Theft Auto 6. The full thing is a lengthy read that's worth your time, but we've highlighted some of the major details fans should know about. GTA 6 encourages exploration and interaction Much like Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 6's world is full of wacky encounters waiting to be found. In the interview, IGN mentioned the discovery of a man in a dumpster who asked them for pills. Later on, that same man gave the outlet legal advice. Beyond those encounters, Rockstar also teased that shops around the GTA 6 map have exclusive goodies, like location-specific hairstyles, which they hope will get players checking out every nook and cranny. GTA 6 gates progression In previous Grand Theft Auto games, and after any initial tutorials, players could more or less do whatever they wanted in the open world straight from the jump. GTA 6 will be a little stricter. Rockstar says that, at the start, some parked cars won't be accessible until the player gets farther into the game (though they can always carjack drivers). Another major difference is the handling of money. Rockstar says cash is more important now, and that players won't be able to get further into the story until they collect enough money. Early looks at the game suggest the player will only be able to carry around a limited amount of moola as well. The Wanted system has quirks Fans know that every star on the Wanted system represents an escalation of police violence, but something new in GTA 6 is the introduction of hollowed-out stars. These types of empty stars signal that authorities have been alerted to a crime, but they don't yet know who committed it. Another curious tidbit: Rockstar says that getting a single full single star isn't a big deal, and that players will be able to lose it easily. Getting into a police chase sounds like more of an active choice. Rockstar says that quests generally have multiple solutions. In the mission featured in the Netflix preview, for example, there were multiple routes outside the tower block. Some portions of the game can be on-rails, like specific car chases, but they transition into gameplay segments where players make active choices. There are optimal routes, but Rockstar wanted to make missions feel congruent with the larger open world. If you can do something in the game at large, it should be possible during missions as well. Dual protagonists Jason and Lucia also open up a wealth of opportunities — the player can make the characters stick together to double their firepower, or separate the duo to ease off some heat. Then, once the dust settles, fans can text Lucia or Jason to see if they made it out all right. GTA 6 NPCs pay attention to you Image: Rockstar Games We've already heard about the huge variety of GTA 6 NPCs, and their vast repertoire of dialogue options. Supposedly, players will be able to stand in one place for up to 20 minutes without hearing any repeated lines of dialogue. In the most recent IGN interview, Rockstar clarified that NPCs won't merely chatter or repeat lines to indulge the player; they'll react to your presence. If you get too close or hang around for too long, they'll notice you. They might ask you a friendly question, walk away, or get aggressive. Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Nov. 19.