New exclusive GTA 6 details reveal an even more interactive world

New information from a GTA 6 presentation session provides extensive details on safehouse interactions, physics, vehicles, NPCs, robberies, Jason and Lucia’s relationship and the density of the open world. In this article, we distinguish between what was directly observed during the session, what was explicitly confirmed by Rockstar’s Rob Nelson, and what remains uncertain at this stage.

Much more interactive safehouses

The open-world session began in an apartment belonging to Jason and Lucia that had never been shown before, not even in the Extended Look. Several interactions were directly observed:

• A bottle could be opened with its own animation.
• The liquid inside moved physically as the bottle was handled.
• The apartment’s doors could be opened and closed.
• Light switches could be operated directly to turn lights on or off.
• Almost everything in the safehouse appeared to offer an interaction.

The level of interactivity observed is therefore much closer to an environment you can genuinely manipulate than the relatively static homes in previous GTA games.

Electric scooters will be rideable

Observed during the session: electric scooters can be used as proper vehicles.

Jason will also be able to attack pedestrians while riding. One demonstration showed the character kicking an NPC without getting off the scooter.

You will be able to attack with a car door

Observed during the session: attacks from a vehicle will not always require a weapon.

While driving, Jason can abruptly open the driver’s door:

• the door can hit pedestrians;
• it can also strike other vehicles.

Not every dog will let you pet it

Observed during the session: interactions with animals will depend more on their behavior and that of their owner.

You will not always be able to walk straight up to a dog and pet it. Players may first interact with its owner and ask for permission.

Reactions can vary:

• some dogs will accept the interaction;
• others may bark or refuse;
• some owners may be friendly;
• others may turn hostile.

Dog leashes use real physics

Observed during the session: leashes do not appear to be mere visual elements attached to animals.

When a character comes into contact with a leash, it reacts physically to their body and can, for example, move around their arm instead of passing straight through their model.

Dynamic events can happen without player involvement

Observed during the session: the open world can generate complex situations without the player directly causing them.

One example showed a major traffic jam caused by a crashed vehicle. The car’s occupants were actually masked criminals, and their stolen loot was physically scattered across the road.

The player could then:

1. intervene at the scene;
2. eliminate the criminals;
3. take their loot;
4. naturally trigger a police response.

A simple traffic situation could therefore turn into an opportunistic robbery, then a chase with law enforcement.

Witnesses will be able to identify suspects precisely

Observed during the session: the police system no longer appears to rely solely on an abstract wanted level.

NPCs at a crime scene can observe several details about the player. In the example shown, some witnesses had identified Lucia’s clothing and vehicle. They then contacted the police.

The identification system therefore appears to genuinely depend on what witnesses could see — a point that fits with what is already known about the criminal profile and Jason and Lucia’s relationship.

Stealing a car may require a minigame

Observed during the session: getting into a locked vehicle will not necessarily be as simple as breaking a window.

Some vehicles will use an actual break-in minigame in which players manipulate the lock with the analog sticks. Different tools may be needed depending on the model. Picking the lock discreetly may also avoid setting off the alarm.

This system complements the existing information about the Slim Jim and electronic key cloner, detailed in our article on the 69 details revealed by IGN.

Car trunks can contain loot

Observed during the session: trunks will be fully functional. They can be physically opened and contain various items to steal. They will therefore do more than simply store clothes or weapons.

Vehicles will need fuel

Observed during the session: vehicles will consume fuel. Gas stations will also allow cars to be repaired.

Fuel consumption will deliberately remain fairly slow: Rockstar does not want refueling to become repetitive or burdensome.

Jason and Lucia’s bodies can change

Observed and confirmed: the two protagonists’ physical appearance will change according to how they are played. The session notably showed a significantly more muscular Jason and a Lucia whose body type differed from some trailers.

Rob Nelson explicitly confirmed that several factors can change their appearance:

• diet;
• physical exercise;
• other activities.

The system therefore seems closer to GTA San Andreas, where the character’s physique could genuinely change, than a simple set of invisible stats.

Traffic can become extremely dense

Observed during the session: traffic density was particularly apparent on a huge highway. The engine could handle a large number of vehicles simultaneously. During the previously mentioned accident, traffic responded to the situation and formed a genuine traffic jam.

Car crashes will be much more physical

Observed during the session: a major collision with police triggered a brief cinematic slow-motion effect during exploration itself. Several details were then observed:

• vehicle components deformed;
• some parts broke off;
• pieces were thrown onto the road;
• the damaged vehicle could eventually become completely unusable.

Collisions therefore appear much more destructive and physical than in GTA 5.

Bodies react dynamically to collisions

Observed during the session: during a collision involving several police vehicles, Lucia was thrown against her own damaged car. Her body reacted physically to the different impacts. Her hair also reacted independently during the collision.

GTA 6 could feature more gore

Observed, but still uncertain for the final version: the presentation showed a level of graphic violence beyond what had been clearly confirmed so far. One NPC hit directly in the head with a shotgun was completely decapitated. The gore shown was particularly explicit.

However, it is still impossible to confirm whether this exact level of violence will remain unchanged in the final game.

Some large hotels will be fully explorable

Observed during the session: a large hotel with a rooftop helipad could be explored from street level.

Instead of using a shortcut or a conventional teleport to the roof, it was possible to:

1. enter the lobby;
2. explore the interior;
3. choose between the stairs and elevator;
4. take the elevator to the top floor;
5. walk straight to the helipad.

No loading screen appeared along the way. A helicopter on the roof could then be stolen.

Large interiors will connect directly to the open world

Observed during the session: this hotel demonstrates that some buildings can offer genuinely functional interiors naturally connected to the rest of the map.

The route from street to lobby, elevator, top floor and roof was seamless, with no teleportation.

Jason can react if Lucia leaves him behind

Observed during the session: after switching protagonists and flying away in a helicopter as Lucia, Jason had been left behind. He then sent Lucia a message along the lines of “Aren’t you forgetting something? 😂”, in an apparently amused tone.

This shows that the two characters can react dynamically to certain decisions made during free exploration.

Jason and Lucia’s relationship could have real consequences

Reported during the session, still to be confirmed in the final version: regularly abandoning the other protagonist in certain situations can damage their relationship. Leaving Jason or Lucia behind during a shootout, for example, can provoke a negative response.

The relationship would therefore be more than cosmetic. According to information reported during the session, it could also influence:

• their effectiveness when acting together;
• certain robberies;
• their level of cooperation.

Jason and Lucia will not be locked into a jealous relationship

Reported during the session: their relationship appears to have been designed with relative freedom. Jason visiting a strip club would not automatically cause conflict.

Lucia could accompany him, or let him go alone without any particular consequences. Rockstar therefore seems to be avoiding artificial jealousy mechanics or a perpetually upset partner.

You will be able to hide bodies in trunks

Observed during the session: corpses can be placed in a car’s trunk. This suggests an actual mechanic for moving or concealing bodies after certain actions.

The player may also be able to hide in a trunk

Reported during the session, with few details on how it works: Jason or Lucia could also hide in a vehicle’s trunk.

The mechanic could provide a new way to hide or escape certain situations, although its exact workings remain unclear.

Beaches can genuinely be packed with NPCs

Observed during the session: scenes showing extremely busy beaches do not appear to have been created solely for the trailers.

The population varies with the time of day. In a test specifically carried out in the afternoon, the beach was genuinely packed with NPCs, at a level comparable to the promotional images already shown.

Population density will depend on the time

Observed during the session: certain places will naturally be more or less crowded depending on the time of day. The beach is a direct example: its population rises sharply at certain hours.

Sand deforms underfoot

Observed during the session: sand uses a dynamic surface simulation. As a character walks across it, their footsteps visibly change the terrain.

Clothing and hair react to water

Observed during the session: entering the water directly changes the character’s appearance. Jason’s clothes become visibly wet, as does his hair. Materials therefore seem to genuinely react to the environment.

Objects carried by NPCs have their own physics

Observed during the session: many small accessories are not simply fixed to characters. When an NPC is hit, some objects can fly off:

• phones;
• glasses;
• other small accessories.

These elements appear to have their own physical behavior.

An animal collection system is planned

Reported during the session: GTA 6 appears to feature a kind of bestiary. Animals encountered in the world can be recorded in a collection.

The system was compared to a Pokédex and complements existing information about the ability to study different species.

GTA 6 will retain explicit nudity

Observed during the session: full-frontal nudity is present in the game. One random event notably featured a completely naked NPC. Rockstar therefore appears to retain the adult, provocative humor historically associated with GTA.

A side event features a naked man

Observed during the session: a completely naked man can appear in the middle of a street asking for help. He asks the player to take him home. Accepting triggers a proper side event.

What follows was deliberately left unrevealed, but the activity includes a reward and leads to a humorous cinematic sequence. The NPC’s body also features particularly detailed physical simulation, including his intimate parts.

The 3D map will help plan some robberies

Observed during the session: the map will do more than let you choose a destination. Before a robbery, it can display useful information.

For a jewelry store, it notably showed:

• an estimated loot value;
• information about the building;
• potential access points, such as a rear entrance.

Players can therefore plan their approach before even arriving at the location.

Robberies will offer multiple entrances

Observed during the session: during a jewelry store robbery, a rear entrance was initially considered. However, that door was locked. The plan therefore had to change, using the main entrance instead.

Open-world robberies will thus allow players to adapt their approach to the actual situation.

The second protagonist can help automatically

Observed during the session: during the jewelry store robbery, Jason was directly controlled by the player. Lucia handled employees and customers with her gun. While Jason explored the back of the store, Lucia continued to control the main room.

The second protagonist can therefore genuinely participate in the action independently.

Exploring locations can reveal safe codes

Observed during the session: safes will not necessarily have only one way of being opened. Players can find useful information by exploring buildings.

In the jewelry store, for example, a safe code was written on an employee’s desk. The code could then be used directly. Observation and exploration can therefore make some robberies easier.

Loot will be physically visible

Observed during the session: items inside safes will not simply be represented by a number. It was possible to make out individual:

• gold bars;
• diamonds;
• cash;
• various valuables.

If a safe contains five gold bars, all five physically exist and can be collected.

Each stolen item has its own animation

Observed during the session: loot is not instantly converted into money when the player presses a button. Jason can pick up each item individually.

Gold bars, for example, are:

1. picked up one by one;
2. physically handled;
3. placed in the bag.

Different types of loot also appear to use their own animations.

Cash registers will also be physical

Observed during the session: the system also applies to small businesses. During a gas station robbery:

• the register physically opens;
• the money remains visible inside;
• bills are collected directly.

Collecting loot therefore looks much more tactile than in GTA 5.

Interaction prompts can be disabled

Confirmed by Rob Nelson: with so many interactive objects, the interface can sometimes display a lot of prompts at once. Some of these prompts can be disabled.

Players who want a cleaner interface will therefore be able to reduce the elements most focused on interaction or roleplay.

First-person mode had not yet been implemented

Confirmed by Rob Nelson: asked directly about a first-person view, he said that this mode had not yet been implemented at the time of the presentation.

That does not necessarily mean it will be absent from the final version, but no confirmation of its addition was given. Rubius suggested it might potentially arrive later, for example with a PC version or future consoles: this is solely his personal speculation, not information from Rockstar.

A much more physical, systemic world

Taken together, these details reinforce the impression that Rockstar is taking physical interactions with the world much further in GTA 6. Many elements now appear to exist as genuinely simulated objects: loot, clothing, hair, vehicle parts, NPC accessories, leashes, liquids and certain interior elements.

Robberies also appear much more systemic, thanks to planning, building exploration, environmental clues, physical loot, multiple possible approaches and cooperation with the other protagonist.

Finally, dynamic events show how several systems can combine naturally: a traffic accident can expose criminals, create a theft opportunity, attract witnesses’ attention and then become a major police chase.

The overall impression is of a world combining Red Dead Redemption 2’s simulation and level of detail with GTA’s much more chaotic freedom, without turning the game into a slow-paced realism simulator. For more, explore our GTA 6 guides and the detailed profiles of Jason and Lucia in our database.