On 27 August, Rockstar premiered the extended look at GTA 6 worldwide on Netflix. Although it was intended to preview everything gamers need to know about arguably one of the most anticipated games of all time, it ended up raising more questions than it answered. If you can’t wait patiently until November, when GTA 6 debuts, to have your curiosity tamed, I have good news.
Rob Nelson, Head of Development and Co-Studio Head, sat with IGN and talked them through how the game’s world and NPCs will react to your actions. While I was nonchalant about GTA 6 earlier, these new revelations have me on the edge of my seat.
Here’s everything you need to know about what Rob Nelson revealed regarding the highly anticipated game.
Safehouse:
It’s widely known among GTA gamers that visiting safehouses is key to saving progress, recovering health, storing vehicles, and changing your getup if needed. In addition, players can watch TV in GTA 4, and GTA 5 lets them access the in-game internet on a computer, indulge in recreational substances, play tennis, and do yoga. But in GTA 6, Rockstar is now going big on safehouses.
In the interview, Rob Nelson told IGN that the studio is committed to bringing safehouses in its highly anticipated game closer to Red Dead Redemption 2 camps than in any GTA game.
This means safehouses will feel livelier, with more elements for players to interact with. During the interview, Nelson highlighted that the two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, can coexist in the safehouse and follow their own schedules. He added that these safehouses will give players cosmetic options, letting them make minor changes to their hair, such as trimming or going bald.
NPC:
The world doesn’t feel lively because of its weather and buildings; it’s the people who bring life to the space. With that in mind, Rob Nelson hinted during the interview that Rockstar has placed significant emphasis on NPC characters during game development.
He said the developer team has fully leveraged their experience and the additional storage on the latest consoles to create more diverse NPC characters. As a result, players will encounter these characters with different heights and body shapes in GTA 6.
Beyond body proportions, Nelson also revealed during the interview that the studio upgraded the NPC interaction system in GTA 6. He first painted a picture of how, with Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar introduced a more elaborate interaction system than in previous RDR and GTA games. There, players could press L2 to lock onto an NPC with a gun in the holster and greet or antagonise them.
GTA 6 is now said to surpass Red Dead Redemption 2 in this area. As the culmination of extensive study of human behaviour by the production team, spanning technical, writing, animation, and design, players can expect to stand beside an NPC group and hear unexpected dialogue. Rob Nelson added that if gamers intrude a bit more in the conversation, the characters will turn around, notice them, and go, ‘Oh hey, can I help you?’
He also revealed during the interview with IGN that tailing NPC characters beyond an acceptable limit will prompt them to either become aggressive toward players or run away.
Speaking of aggression, Nelson also highlighted that these non-playable characters will have access to weapon arsenals beyond those of players and police. He suggested that this will keep gamers grounded and make them act more deliberately during an altercation.
Vehicles:
IGN interview also revealed that stealing vehicles will become more extensive and complex in GTA 6. Earlier, pressing triangle on the controller was all the gamers needed to hotwire and steal the car. To make the process more impactful and memorable, GTA 6 is said to first tease certain parked cars that gamers can only obtain after making significant progress and acquiring specialised tools to break into them. For instance, certain vehicles will be unlocked easily with a slim jim.
Nelson added that the game will include a scanner in the phone that helps players identify whether a car is locked, has a theft-detection alarm, or has a tracker. It will also help players estimate the cost of taking a car to a Pay n’ Spray or a specialist car fence, as well as the cost of registering it with them.
Reputation System:
During the interview, Rob Nelson told IGN that GTA 6 is the first in the series to have a reputation system similar to Honor in Red Dead Redemption 2. This means players’ actions will influence the world’s response.
Except when a shootout or fight is necessary, consistently taking unnecessary actions will affect players’ criminal profile. Nelson revealed that these aggravated actions will sometimes prompt gangs to fire you, push citizens to call a cop, or provoke a bystander into throwing a punch at players. He said this will make the world feel more unpredictable and give people room to think carefully about their next move. Players can decide whether to threaten NPCs, make them back down, injure them with shooting, or incapacitate them.
Police and wanted level:
Amid other things, Nelson also highlighted in the interview that Rockstar has upgraded how the police will respond to gamers’ crimes in GTA 6. When players trigger the heat system, they will notice their getup. Putting on a hat won’t cut it to deter the police from chasing them. Even customising the hairstyle won’t be enough to escape. Ultimately, GTA 6 players will need to change outfits in a clothing store or a personal vehicle to throw them off.
That said, drawing too much attention with the new outfit risks the police chasing players again.
Beyond that, he revealed during the interview that the game will have a system that affects how players escape a police chase. For instance, after you reach three stars, it becomes difficult to flee in a vehicle unless it is a sports bike or a hypercar. As a result, the best option is to get off the street and head into alleys.
Relationship between Jason and Lucia:
Rob Nelson told IGN that GTA 6 will let players shape Jason and Lucia’s relationship by spending time together outside the main story missions. Time spent together outside missions can strengthen their bond, while neglecting the relationship may affect how their story unfolds.
Nelson explained that romance isn’t mandatory and offers no specific gameplay benefit. Jason and Lucia will remain partners in crime and continue to have each other’s backs, regardless of their romantic connection. Players can decide how invested they want to be in the relationship, and their choices will influence the couple’s narrative.
GTA 6’s overall tone:
Rob Nelson told IGN that GTA 6 aims to blur the line between story missions and open-world exploration by giving players greater freedom in how they approach situations. Missions can offer multiple routes, while systems such as robberies and police chases mirror their open-world counterparts.
Nelson explained that Rockstar wants players to encounter unscripted moments while exploring, such as spontaneous jobs and unexpected character interactions. Players can also discover activities beyond the main story by taking their time in the world. He added that this approach could make GTA 6 more rewarding for those who explore rather than rush through missions.
Ultimately, these revelations show that GTA 6 is even more ambitious than we imagined. It may influence how people judge other open-world games.
