Dazed got the exclusive on the first GTA 6 preview. The piece mostly adds detail on the gameplay systems, the realism of the world and the characters.
1. A far more reactive world
- Player actions will carry more consequences.
- Walking down the street with a visible weapon can trigger reactions from NPCs and from the world.
- Rockstar wants Leonida to respond far more naturally to how the player behaves.
- The goal is to move NPC behavior closer to that of real people rather than traditional NPCs.
2. Jason and Lucia are a genuine playable duo
- For the first time in GTA, the two main protagonists are a couple.
- You'll be able to play them together or use them separately to run their own activities.
- Rockstar seems to have designed character switching to be especially seamless.
- The example given: Jason drives while Lucia uses her phone in the passenger seat.
- During a chase, you can move off the wheel and over to Lucia to shoot through the window.
- The two characters can also share certain activities, such as jet ski rides.
3. Social media will actually be usable
The article explicitly confirms working social media feeds inside the phone.
So it won't just be set dressing: players will be able to read posts and follow certain storylines through Leonida's social networks.
The Real Dimez, for instance, have their rise told through viral in-game posts.
4. Jason and Lucia's bodies change over time
This is probably one of the most interesting reveals.
- Food affects their weight.
- Exercise builds and tones their muscles.
- Their appearance can change according to their habits.
- Their faces and bodies can also show the toll of a hard life.
- Going long stretches without sleep, running from the police or stringing several days of partying together will have visual consequences.
Rockstar is picking up the Red Dead Redemption 2 idea, but seems to want to push it further with Jason and Lucia.
5. Relationships look far more important
Rockstar puts heavy emphasis on the relationship between Jason and Lucia.
Their choices could carry significant emotional consequences, and their relationship is an integral part of the story.
The game is explicitly described as a "Bonnie and Clyde" story.
6. Lucia is GTA's first fully developed female lead
Lucia is a meaningful step forward for the series.
She isn't simply a supporting character or an interchangeable protagonist: Rockstar wants to give her an identity, a personality and a story of her own.
Players will still be able to influence how she evolves through their actions.
7. Much more diversity among NPCs
Rockstar says it has created its most detailed and varied cast of characters ever.
NPCs can be:
- young or old;
- tall or short;
- tattooed;
- pierced;
- carrying body modifications;
- dressed in luxury clothing;
- in suits;
- in beachwear;
- in military gear or covered in mud.
More importantly, their appearance is matched to their environment.
Someone living in Little Havana won't necessarily look like someone living out in the wilds of Leonida.
8. NPCs won't only differ visually
Rockstar points out that authenticity doesn't rest on appearance alone.
A character is defined by:
- their appearance;
- the way they walk;
- their movements;
- their interactions;
- their behavior;
- their expression.
That's a far deeper approach than simply multiplying NPC models.
9. Rockstar did serious work on Miami and Florida culture
Here's the part that stands out: Rockstar explains it spent years doing field research.
Staff met with:
- former criminals;
- police officers;
- club promoters;
- weapons dealers;
- local figures;
- residents.
There's even a dedicated research team based in Miami.
The goal is not to make a caricature of Florida, but to genuinely understand its culture and its people.
10. Brands and businesses are part of the world's ecosystem
GTA VI's fictional brands reportedly aren't there just to land jokes.
Rockstar wants them to have:
- an identity;
- an aesthetic;
- a customer base;
- a function;
- a place in Leonida's culture.
Clothing, shops, cars and brands should therefore feel like they belong to a real ecosystem.
11. Fashion will matter much more
Vice City is described as a city obsessed with appearance.
The clothing system therefore looks like it carries particular weight:
- different trends;
- different social brackets;
- clothes suited to each neighborhood;
- influence from social media;
- influence from celebrities;
- fast-moving styles.
What you wear should contribute more to Jason and Lucia's identity.
12. A huge variety of populations and environments
Rockstar wants every part of Leonida to have its own identity.
The map moves through:
- Vice City;
- Little Havana;
- Ocean Beach;
- rural areas;
- mountains;
- Mount Kalaga National Park;
- Leonida Keys.
NPCs, their clothes and their behavior are meant to shift with those environments.
13. More than 50 real street artists
Rockstar brought in more than 50 real street artists to create murals across Vice City.
The Stockyard, for example, is inspired by Wynwood in Miami.
14. A huge NPC team
Rockstar now has a Los Angeles branch devoted almost entirely to pedestrians and NPCs.
The development team has also more than doubled in size since Red Dead Redemption 2.
15. Vehicles appear to get an extremely realistic approach
One fairly wild detail: the team handling vehicle driving includes actual racing drivers.
That suggests Rockstar is looking to significantly improve vehicle handling and physics.
