Rockstar Games has finally given players the detailed look at Grand Theft Auto VI they have been waiting for.
On August 27, Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look. The presentation offers roughly 27 minutes of footage featuring Jason, Lucia, Vice City, missions, driving, combat and everyday activities across Leonida.
More importantly, this was not another cinematic teaser. Rockstar says the entire presentation uses in-game footage captured on PlayStation 5.
After years of trailers, rumors and speculation, GTA 6 is finally starting to look like a game players can imagine sitting down and playing.
Here are the biggest things Rockstar showed.
GTA 6 Running on PlayStation 5
Rockstar confirmed that it captured the entire Extended Look using in-game footage on PlayStation 5.
That matters because GTA 6 looks extremely detailed.
Vice City is packed with pedestrians, vehicles, interiors, lighting effects and environmental details. The footage moves between gameplay and cinematic scenes with very little visual difference between them.
Rockstar describes GTA 6 as the biggest and most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
Based on the footage, the studio has put a huge amount of work into making Leonida feel alive.
Jason and Lucia Work Together
Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos remain at the center of GTA 6.
Rockstar previously revealed that the pair get caught in a criminal conspiracy across Leonida after an easy score goes wrong.
The Extended Look gives us a much better idea of how their relationship works during gameplay.
Several scenes show Jason and Lucia working together during missions. Players can control one character while the other helps during the action. The footage also shows the game moving between the two characters.
In one scene, Jason shoots at pursuing police while Lucia drives.
Other moments show the pair fighting through dangerous situations together before the player takes control of a different character.
It looks like Rockstar is taking the multiple-character system from GTA 5 and building much more of GTA 6 around the relationship between Jason and Lucia.
GTA 6 Gunplay Looks More Refined
Combat received much more attention than it did in previous GTA 6 trailers.
The Extended Look includes shootouts inside buildings, fights with police and combat during vehicle chases.
Jason can move through areas using cover while fighting enemies. Meanwhile, other scenes show Lucia dealing with situations where she has fewer weapons available.
Rockstar also appears to be making the move between gameplay and cinematic scenes much smoother.
The game can move into a cinematic moment before quickly returning control to the player.
If the final game keeps this approach, missions could flow more naturally than they did in previous GTA games.
Driving Gets Its First Real Showcase
We also finally got an extended look at GTA 6’s driving.
Cars move through busy Vice City streets as traffic, pedestrians and police react around them.
One of the strongest scenes involves a high-speed police chase.
Jason fires from the vehicle while Lucia drives. It gives us another example of how Rockstar can use both characters during missions.
Vehicle damage and physics also appear to play a larger role. Shooting the tires of pursuing vehicles can cause them to spin out or crash.
Of course, we will need to play the final game before we know exactly how different the driving feels from GTA 5.
Visually, however, Rockstar has clearly put serious work into making vehicle chases more exciting.
Vice City Feels Alive
The world itself may have been the biggest star of the presentation.
Rockstar showed packed streets, nightlife, apartments, businesses, highways, waterways and areas outside the center of Vice City.
NPCs appear to do much more than simply walk around waiting for the player.
People talk, exercise, ride scooters and react to events around them. Jason and Lucia can also interact with characters during certain situations.
Together, these details make Vice City and the wider state of Leonida look busy and active.
You Can Slow Down and Live in the World
GTA 6 clearly will not be nonstop shootouts and police chases.
Rockstar showed a surprising number of activities.
Players can spend time playing basketball, working out, kayaking, scuba diving, riding jet skis, using fanboats and visiting clubs.
Jason is even shown opening the refrigerator inside the couple’s apartment.
And yes, Rockstar answered one extremely important question.
You can pet a dog.
These details may seem small, but they could help make Vice City feel like a place players actually live in instead of simply moving between missions.
Stealing Cars May Be More Involved
Grand Theft Auto would not be Grand Theft Auto without stealing cars.
However, GTA 6 appears to add more interaction to the process.
One scene shows Jason breaking into a parked vehicle instead of simply opening the door and immediately driving away.
Other footage suggests players may have different options depending on the vehicle and situation.
It is a small change, but it fits Rockstar’s effort to make everyday actions feel more detailed.
Social Media Is Everywhere
Rockstar has already made it clear that modern social media culture will play a major role in GTA 6.
The Extended Look reinforces that idea.
Phones, livestreams and online personalities appear throughout Leonida.
One particularly strange scene involves Lucia discovering an influencer in the trunk of a stolen vehicle while he continues livestreaming.
GTA has always reflected the time period in which each game takes place.
GTA 6 appears ready to focus on influencer culture, viral videos and the strange world of online fame.
Rockstar’s Classic Satire Is Still Here
Despite the realistic graphics, GTA has not suddenly become completely serious.
Fake advertisements, strange characters and wild versions of American culture appear throughout the footage.
That balance will be important.
Vice City may look more realistic than ever, but Rockstar clearly still wants the world to be funny and unpredictable.
The fictional state of Leonida gives the studio plenty of opportunities to make fun of social media, wealth, crime and modern American life.
GTA 6 Is Starting to Feel Real
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Extended Look is not one individual feature.
It is how complete GTA 6 is starting to feel.
Rockstar showed extended missions and gave us a closer look at Jason and Lucia working together. We also saw driving, gunplay and activities outside the main story.
Most importantly, players finally got a much better look at what Vice City and Leonida are like during normal gameplay.
There are still major questions Rockstar has not answered. We still do not know much about the future of GTA Online or exactly how large the final open world will be.
Those answers will come later.
For now, Rockstar has given players the clearest look yet at what it has been building.
When Does GTA 6 Release?
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026.
Rockstar currently lists the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Rockstar has not announced a PC version.
With the Extended Look now available and launch getting closer, the GTA 6 marketing campaign is entering an important stage.
After seeing so much of the game in action, players finally have a much clearer idea of what Rockstar has planned for GTA 6.
