Police, the six-star wanted level and Criminal Profile in GTA 6

The short answer

The wanted level returns to six stars and becomes much more contextual: the police must first be alerted, then identify your face, clothing and vehicle. Alongside this, a Criminal Profile system records your behavioral habits.

How the police are alerted

For the wanted level to activate, your crime must have been witnessed by an NPC or triggered an alarm.

Officers dispatched to the scene receive specific information about the incident and head to the relevant area. This “hot zone” can remain on the map even after you leave: law enforcement continues to inspect the scene for a while before things calm down.

The return of six stars

GTA 5 reduced the maximum to five stars; GTA 6 brings it back to six. One star should remain relatively easy to lose, while six stars offer the chaotic chases the series is known for.

From three stars onward, escaping in the city becomes difficult without a very fast vehicle: streets are narrower, with far denser traffic and pedestrian crowds. It is often more effective to abandon the car and escape on foot through alleys. Rockstar has reworked running, jumping and climbing to make these sequences smoother.

What the police know about you

When you are wanted, the police may know your appearance and clothing. This information appears as icons below the wanted level:

▸Changing your hairstyle removes identification based on your physical appearance.

▸Your clothes remain known: adding glasses or a hat is not enough; you need to change your entire outfit. This makes storing spare clothes in a car trunk useful.

▸Wearing a mask during the crime and then removing it while escaping prevents the police from getting a precise description, even if a security camera recorded you.

▸The vehicle can also be identified: abandoning it and taking another reduces the pressure.

▸When the police do not know what you look like, the stars appear as empty outlines: leaving the area discreetly is usually enough to escape law enforcement.

Splitting up to divide the police

During a search, Jason and Lucia can split up to divert attention when the police know they are pursuing a duo. You can ask your partner to flee and draw all the attention to yourself; once it is safe again, they send you a message.

If either character is arrested, the “Busted” screen appears and you respawn in the world, even if the other protagonist is still being pursued.

Confrontations and combat

▸Not every confrontation escalates: pointing a weapon without firing may be enough to make an NPC flee.

▸In some scripted missions, escalation remains unavoidable.

▸The encouraged approach: get in, take what you want and leave before the police arrive.

▸During gunfights, you can incapacitate an enemy without killing them — by shooting an arm or leg — or even disarm them by shooting their weapon.

▸Particularly spectacular actions trigger brief slow-motion shots with a cinematic camera angle, in the style of Red Dead Redemption 2.

The Criminal Profile

The Criminal Profile is the equivalent of Red Dead Redemption 2's honor system, with one major difference: it is not based on a clear distinction between good and bad actions.

▸Your habits influence how the world and its residents react to your presence.

▸They can also affect how the main story develops.

▸Gratuitous violence and unnecessary chaos feed into this profile; by contrast, good-citizen behavior — properly disposing of your trash, for example — changes it in a different way.

▸An important point: crimes committed during certain missions, certain heists or when violence is required do not necessarily change your Criminal Profile.

Source

Information from official statements made by Rockstar Games during GTA 6 press previews. This is official information shared before the game's release.

Explore further: Money, heists and car theft · Open world and NPCs · Frequently asked questions