GTA VI changes several habits GTA V taught you. Police need a witness, cash in your pocket disappears when you die, stolen loot is worthless until you fence it, and the weapon wheel is gone. None of this comes from a Rockstar manual: almost every tip below is from hands-on previews (Edge, Red Bull, Engadget, VICE) and the Extended Look, so treat the details as reported until we play it on Nov 19.
If you have not set up yet, start with the day-one checklist. Everything else is in the guides hub.
How does the wanted system work?
The short answer: it is about what the police know, not just what you did. Full breakdown on wanted system and heat.
1. No witness, no cops
Crimes only draw police when there is a witness, an alarm, or a stolen-car tracker reported. Look around before you act. Quiet areas and back rooms are your friend.
2. There are six stars
The Extended Look shows six wanted stars, up from GTA V’s five reported. A fan site claimed GTA VI drops stars entirely. That is debunked: the official footage shows them.
3. Read the star styles
Previews describe four star styles reported:
| Star style | What it means |
|---|---|
| Solid | Police have visual contact |
| Flashing | They lost contact |
| Hollow / outlined | They don’t know who the suspect is |
| Red | You are inside the search zone |
4. Heat is your description
A heat system tracks CCTV, your appearance and clothing, the number of suspects, weapons and your vehicle reported. To shake it:
- Split up Jason and Lucia
- Change clothes, or get a haircut at a barber
- Wear a mask in front of CCTV
- Swap the car, or torch it
- Use Pay ‘n’ Spray, which repairs the car and clears your wanted level
5. Hide in plain sight
Rockstar’s Phil Hooker says police won’t search a bus unless they saw you board it reported. Police may also keep a perimeter around a shop you robbed, so don’t go back for seconds. Expect helicopters with searchlights and police dogs.
6. Your record follows you
Each character has a Criminal Profile, from Professional to Irredeemable, with angel and devil icons, and it affects the story reported. How much it matters is not yet known. See Criminal Profile.
How does money work?
GTA VI has three kinds of money: bank, cash and duffel-bag loot reported. Details on money, banks and fences.
7. Bank your cash
Cash is lost when you are Wasted or Busted. Money in the bank, managed through the BuckMe app, is safe. Use ATMs often, especially before a job.
8. Loot is not money yet
Duffel-bag loot must be sold to a fence. Fences specialise and unlock through the story, so you may be holding goods you can’t sell yet.
9. Almost anything can be robbed
Almost any shop can be robbed, armored vans included. Safe codes can be found or bought. You can also blow the safe, which is faster but may damage what’s inside.
10. Keep a cash buffer
Some story beats require a minimum amount of cash reported. Don’t spend down to zero right before a mission.
11. No real money in single-player
Rockstar North co-head Rob Nelson says single-player has no real-money purchases reported. There is no Shark Card shortcut. See confirmed gameplay features.
How do weapons work?
12. The weapon wheel is gone
You carry two handguns and two long guns, with only one long gun on your back. The rest live in your vehicle’s trunk, like RDR2’s horse reported. Park close before a fight. More on controls and weapon slots and weapons.
13. A visible gun changes how people act
Carrying a visible weapon changes NPC reactions but doesn’t automatically bring the police reported. Still, a witness who sees you draw it can call it in.
14. Auto-aim is off by default
Previews say auto-aim is off by default and recoil is heavier than GTA V reported. If you want lock-on, change it in settings before your first shootout.
15. Use Focus
A slow-motion Focus mode highlights weak points, and vitals targeting allows non-lethal disarms reported. The Extended Look showed Jason using it. Whether Lucia has it too is unclear.
16. Loot police cars
Police cars can be looted for gear reported.
What about cars?
17. Check a car before you steal it
Cars have security tiers. Theft can mean hot-wiring, key cloners, lock picks, window smashing (which trips alarms) or a quick-time hijack. Trackers can alert police reported. The Waink phone app scans a car’s security, tracker, registration cost and resale value. See vehicles.
18. Register what you keep
Stolen cars can be registered for a fee, and you can keep several personal cars per character in garages reported.
19. Watch the fuel gauge
Fuel and refuelling are back. Hold the button for about 10 seconds at the pump. Engine health matters too reported.
20. Call a car
Scooter Bros delivers a vehicle for a fee, and e-scooters are in reported.
What’s on the phone?
21. Know your apps
| App | What it does |
|---|---|
| BuckMe | Banking |
| Waink | Car security, tracker and value scan |
| Snapmatic | Social feed; follow accounts, watch NPC events and livestreams |
| RydeMe | Ride-hailing; passengers chat |
| Scooter Bros | Vehicle delivery |
All reported. Jason and Lucia can’t post publicly on Snapmatic because they are fugitives, but they can DM photos to each other. An optional livestream feed opens with R3. LifeInvader and Bleeter are rumour. See phone and social media.
22. Radio on foot
Rockstar says radio and podcasts can be heard on foot through the phone, a series first. Browse the radio stations.
Jason, Lucia and the world
23. Switching is not always free
Both leads are playable, but Rob Nelson told Famitsu switching is “restricted depending on the progression of the story”. Red Bull said you can switch “at any time”. Prefer Nelson. See character switching.
24. The relationship is yours to lose
The romance is optional and can fade, though the pair stay partners in crime, per Nelson. Partner activities build closeness. Whether it changes the ending is unconfirmed. See Jason and Lucia’s relationship.
25. The body and the map change over time
Gyms change physique, stamina and focus, and diet and sleep change your weight reported. The map unlocks gradually as you explore. Storms and seasonal hurricanes are confirmed by Rockstar to Game Informer, and more than 170 animal species can be logged, from Grassrivers gators to flamingos reported. Pet a dog if its owner allows it. Some won’t.
What we don’t know yet
Rockstar has not published a control layout, the exact penalty for dying beyond lost cash, how fast heat fades, or how many fences exist. We will update this page after launch with tested answers. Meanwhile, the GTA 6 FAQ covers the quick questions.