Rockstar Games has finally pulled back the curtain on Grand Theft Auto VI with an approximately 26-minute Extended Look, giving fans their most substantial look yet at how the highly anticipated open-world game will actually play.
Rather than another cinematic trailer, the presentation focuses heavily on gameplay and the systems Rockstar has built into Leonida. The footage was captured entirely from the PlayStation 5 version and provides a better idea of how the game has evolved from GTA V while retaining the open-world crime formula the series is known for.
One of the biggest changes is the way Jason and Lucia work together. Players will be able to switch between the two protagonists, with their different perspectives playing into both missions and exploration. The pair can also participate in criminal activities together, while the game can separate them when the situation calls for it.
Rockstar is also bringing back the more interactive approach to the world that it introduced with Red Dead Redemption 2. Context-sensitive interactions allow Jason and Lucia to engage with objects, animals and other elements of the environment outside of the main mission objectives. The Extended Look also hinted at a karma-style system that can respond to certain actions, potentially giving smaller decisions more weight.
Combat has received a noticeable overhaul as well. GTA VI’s gunplay appears more grounded than GTA V’s, with heavier character animations, more responsive environmental cover and a greater emphasis on how characters move during firefights. The presentation also showed how these systems work during larger encounters rather than simply relying on traditional shootouts.
Vehicle theft has similarly been refined. Stealing a car no longer necessarily requires players to smash a window first, with a faster takeover animation making the process feel more seamless. Combined with the game’s more detailed world simulation, even familiar activities such as stealing vehicles appear to have received additional attention.
That attention to simulation extends to Leonida itself. Vice City remains the centrepiece, but the Extended Look showed a world that extends well beyond the city, with developed urban areas giving way to quieter parts of the state. Changing weather and the day-night cycle can significantly alter the atmosphere, while phones and social media provide additional ways for characters to interact with the world.
The presentation also introduced several members of Leonida’s criminal underworld, including Boobie Ike, Dre’Quan Priest, Raul Bautista and Brian Heder. Alongside Jason and Lucia, these characters will help expand the game’s criminal ecosystem and provide the protagonists with connections throughout the story.
Police pursuits have also been expanded, with GTA VI featuring a multi-stage wanted system that can escalate as players create more chaos. The Extended Look showed law enforcement becoming increasingly aggressive during a nighttime chase, suggesting that escaping the police could involve more than simply reaching a certain distance from the initial crime.
While the gameplay systems received much of the attention, Rockstar also used the presentation to reinforce the relationship between Jason and Lucia. Their dynamic remains central to the game, with quieter interactions between the pair helping establish them as more than simply two characters who happen to share missions.
The Extended Look arrives just days after unauthorized gameplay footage from GTA VI circulated online. Rockstar addressed the leaks ahead of the presentation, acknowledging the difficulty of seeing unfinished material released prematurely and apologizing to fans for the lengthy wait for more information. The company also confirmed that subpoenas have been filed in connection with the leaks.
Rockstar has separately confirmed that creators will be able to react to and discuss the Extended Look once it is publicly available. Reaction videos, livestream commentary and analysis are permitted, although creators cannot simply repost the entire unedited presentation.
The response to the Extended Look has been largely positive, with much of the praise directed toward GTA VI’s visuals, world detail and gameplay systems. While some fans were less impressed by the story material shown, the presentation appears to have strengthened expectations surrounding Rockstar’s next open-world game by finally demonstrating how many of its systems work together.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19.