GTA 6: the key points from Famitsu's full Rob Nelson interview

Japanese magazine Famitsu has published a long interview with Rob Nelson, Head of Development and Co-Studio Head at Rockstar North, and GTAVice has translated it into English in full. It's one of the most detailed looks yet at how Grand Theft Auto VI plays. Here are the key points.

Jason and Lucia, a couple on the edge

Nelson describes Jason and Lucia as a couple in trouble whose simple job goes wrong, forcing them to run and hide. Their relationship isn't fixed: it can deteriorate depending on the player's choices, which changes small gestures such as holding hands or kissing.

Switching protagonists, with caveats

You'll be able to switch between Jason and Lucia, but not always. Some missions are story-driven: Nelson's example is infiltrating a housing complex, where you only control Jason so as not to break immersion. In certain sequences the switch also happens automatically.

Gyms, food and stats

Gyms work as minigames where the player controls the effort. Training three days in a row improves health and strength, and what your character eats also affects their attributes.

The Criminal Profile: professional or violent

GTA 6 introduces a system called Criminal Profile, which takes over some ideas from Red Dead Redemption 2's honor system. It judges whether you behave like a professional or a violent criminal, and the world reacts accordingly: excessive violence makes your surroundings hostile.

Stealing cars isn't that easy anymore

Vehicle theft has tiered progression:

• At first you only have tools to force the lock.
• Luxury cars require a key cloner.
• The most valuable vehicles have trackers and advanced alarms.
• Not every stolen car can be sold right away.

The Heat system

When a theft is reported, a Heat zone kicks in. To lower the police pressure you can change clothes, ditch your weapons or leave the area. The police work from descriptions (clothing and appearance), and those decide whether you get recognized.

Long guns in plain sight

For the first time in the series, rifles and shotguns can't be concealed. Carrying them openly triggers negative reactions from pedestrians. Nelson explains it as a matter of consistency: in a real city, nobody would walk around with a rifle without drawing attention.

Money comes from the open world

Unlike previous entries, completing story missions alone won't earn you enough money. You'll need to combine them with open-world activities such as stealing cars, holding up stores or robbing banks.

Phones and social media

Your phone is a physical object you interact with. Jason and Lucia can't post on social media because they're fugitives, but they can read other people's posts. Nelson mentions livestreaming, fitness, banking and vehicle delivery apps ("Scooter Bros").

A world that pushes back

Characters follow their own schedules and the city feels more realistic: narrow streets, traffic jams and pedestrians of varied heights and builds. Citizens don't just take it, either: some fight back or even shoot if you try to steal their car.

Release, hideouts and garages

• Release: November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
• Setting: Vice City and the state of Leonida, inspired by modern-day Miami and Florida.
• Hideouts: several, changing as the story progresses, similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's camps.
• Garages: three spaces at first, expandable by buying more garages.
• Clothing: thousands of possible combinations.

According to Nelson, Red Dead Redemption 2 proved that deep systems work, and GTA 6 takes that idea to a modern world with a clean interface and actions that carry weight in the story.