[Last Updated: February 2026]
[This article is updated regularly as new info drops. Bookmark it.]
Between two official trailers, the 2022 leak footage, and Rockstar’s own statements, we actually know a surprising amount about how GTA 6 plays. This isn’t GTA V with a fresh coat of paint. Rockstar has rebuilt core systems from the ground up, borrowing the best ideas from Red Dead Redemption 2 and adding entirely new mechanics that reflect modern gaming and modern culture.
Here’s every gameplay feature we can confirm or strongly predict based on available evidence.
Combat & Weapons
Hand-Switching Weapon System
✅ CONFIRMED: Players can switch which hand holds their weapon. This isn’t just cosmetic — it affects cover shooting, allowing you to peek and fire from either side of cover without exposing yourself unnecessarily. This is a significant tactical upgrade over GTA V’s fixed right-hand shooting.
Zip-Tie Hostage Mechanic
✅ CONFIRMED: You can restrain NPCs with zip ties. This opens up new approaches to robberies and confrontations — rather than killing everyone, you can tie up civilians and guards. You can also use hostages as human shields and carry or loot restrained bodies.
Crouching and Stealth
✅ CONFIRMED: A dedicated crouch mechanic has been confirmed. While GTA V had a stealth mode, GTA 6 appears to have a more developed stealth system that integrates with the new hostage mechanics. Silent approaches to missions are now a viable gameplay style.
Melee Combat Overhaul
🔮 EXPECTED: Trailer 2 shows Lucia in an underground fighting ring, suggesting significantly improved hand-to-hand combat. Expect a system closer to RDR2’s weighty melee combat but with additional moves, combos, and possibly learnable fighting styles reminiscent of GTA San Andreas.
Weapon Concealment
✅ CONFIRMED: NPCs react to visible weapons. If you walk around with a gun drawn, pedestrians will panic and potentially call police. Your character automatically conceals weapons in populated areas. This adds a layer of realism and tactical decision-making that GTA V never had.
NPC & World Interaction
RDR2-Style Dialogue System
✅ CONFIRMED: The “Greet, Threaten, Rob” interaction system from Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to GTA 6. When approaching NPCs, you’ll get contextual prompts to interact peacefully, intimidate, or rob them. This transforms every NPC encounter into a potential gameplay moment.
NPC Memory System
🔮 EXPECTED: Reports suggest that police in GTA 6 can remember your face, vehicle, and past offenses. Committing crimes in the same area with the same car builds your criminal profile, making repeated crimes riskier and police pursuits more realistic. You may need to change clothes, switch vehicles, or lay low to reduce heat.
Advanced NPC Behavior
✅ CONFIRMED (via trailers): NPCs in GTA 6 exhibit dramatically more realistic behavior than any previous Rockstar game:
- Pedestrians use smartphones, take photos, record videos
- NPCs interact with each other organically — conversations, arguments, activities
- Wildlife in the Grassrivers swamp region behaves realistically (alligators, birds)
- Beach-goers swim, sunbathe, and react to events
Social Media Integration
✅ CONFIRMED (via trailers): GTA 6 features an in-game social media platform that mirrors modern apps. NPCs can be seen recording events on their phones, livestreaming, and posting. This appears to affect gameplay — committing crimes in public may result in viral videos that increase your wanted level or notoriety.
This is classic Rockstar satire updated for 2026. Expect biting commentary on influencer culture, viral fame, cancel culture, and the attention economy. Your criminal exploits may trend on Leonida’s version of social media.
Character Progression
Body/Fitness System
🔮 EXPECTED: Trailer 2 shows Jason working out at an outdoor gym, strongly suggesting the return of the physical fitness system from GTA San Andreas. Expect:
- Gym workouts that affect character physique and stats
- Eating affecting weight and appearance
- Strength and stamina stats that improve with use
Home Customization
✅ CONFIRMED (via trailers): The same safehouse appears in different states of renovation throughout Trailer 2. At one timestamp it’s under renovation; later it appears furnished and decorated. This confirms some level of property/home customization.
Clothing and Appearance
🔮 EXPECTED: GTA V offered extensive wardrobe options. GTA 6 will almost certainly expand on this with more clothing stores, styles, and potentially character customization that goes beyond just outfits (haircuts, tattoos, accessories).
Vehicles & Driving
Massive Vehicle Roster
✅ CONFIRMED: Over 200 vehicles have been identified in trailer footage. These include sports cars, muscle cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, jet skis, and aircraft. Notable confirmed vehicles include the Pegassi Zorrusso, Grotti Furia, Pfister Comet S2 Cabrio, and Grotti Cheetah Classic.
For the full list, see our GTA 6 Vehicles guide.
Improved Driving Physics
🔮 EXPECTED: Trailer footage suggests more realistic vehicle handling than GTA V, which was often criticized for arcade-like physics. Expect a middle ground between GTA V’s accessibility and GTA IV’s more realistic (but sometimes frustrating) driving model.
Vehicle Damage
🔮 EXPECTED: Trailer footage shows detailed vehicle deformation that exceeds GTA V. Bumpers detach, hoods crumple realistically, and windows shatter with more detail.
Open World Systems
Dynamic Weather
✅ CONFIRMED (via trailers): Florida-inspired weather including tropical storms, thunderstorms, dramatic sunsets, and humidity effects. Weather appears to dynamically affect the world — streets flood, NPCs seek shelter, and visibility changes dramatically.
Hacking Mechanic
✅ CONFIRMED (via Trailer 2): A character is shown using a smartphone to hack into a security system. This suggests tech-based gameplay for missions, potentially allowing players to hack cameras, unlock doors, disable alarms, or manipulate systems remotely.
Robbery Systems
✅ CONFIRMED: Multiple robbery types are visible in trailers and leak footage. Small-scale robberies (convenience stores, gas stations) appear to be available as free-roam activities alongside larger, mission-based heists. The zip-tie mechanic and dialogue system create multiple approaches: go in guns blazing, sneak in quietly, or talk your way through.
Dual Protagonist Control
✅ CONFIRMED: The character selection features three modes: Solo Jason, Solo Lucia, and a combined mode for cooperative gameplay during robberies and missions. Players can switch between characters and potentially coordinate their actions during complex sequences.
For character details, see our GTA 6 Characters guide.
Missions and Activities
Heist Missions
🔮 EXPECTED: GTA V’s heist system was revolutionary. GTA 6 will undoubtedly expand on it. With two protagonists and the new robbery mechanics, expect more varied heist missions with multiple approach options and roles for Lucia and Jason.
Underground Fighting
🔮 EXPECTED: Lucia’s fighting ring scene in Trailer 2 suggests underground fighting as a side activity, possibly with its own progression system and rewards.
Property Management
🔮 EXPECTED: Based on GTA Online’s property system and the safehouse customization seen in trailers, expect purchasable properties that generate income — nightclubs, businesses, real estate. This was a core feature of GTA Vice City (2002), and it would be fitting for this return to Vice City.
Technical Features
Ray-Traced Graphics
✅ CONFIRMED (via trailers): Extensive ray-traced reflections on buildings, vehicles, and water. The visual quality represents a generational leap over GTA V and RDR2.
RAGE Engine Upgrades
GTA 6 runs on a significantly upgraded version of Rockstar’s proprietary RAGE engine. Improvements include:
- Higher NPC density and more complex AI
- Improved physics simulation for vehicles, water, and destruction
- Better animation blending for more natural character movement
- Advanced lighting with real-time global illumination
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim underwater in GTA 6?
While not explicitly confirmed, given the Florida/coastal setting and GTA V’s extensive underwater content, underwater swimming and diving will almost certainly return.
Will GTA 6 have a wanted system?
Yes, but likely more advanced than GTA V’s star system. The NPC memory system suggests police can remember your face and vehicle, making repeated crimes in the same area progressively more dangerous.
Can you enter buildings in GTA 6?
More so than any previous GTA game. Trailer footage shows numerous enterable interiors including restaurants, gyms, clubs, apartments, and stores. The exact number of accessible interiors remains unknown.
Is there a phone in GTA 6?
Yes. The smartphone appears to play a major role, used for hacking security systems, browsing in-game social media, receiving mission calls, and likely other functions.
Will there be cheat codes in GTA 6?
Rockstar hasn’t addressed this. GTA V had cheat codes for single-player. GTA 6 will likely continue this tradition for the story mode, though they may be implemented differently (perhaps through the in-game phone).
Can you fly planes in GTA 6?
Aircraft have been spotted in trailer footage, so yes, flying will return. Expect a range of aircraft from small propeller planes to jets and helicopters.
