Grand Theft Auto VI is only months away, but recent unauthorized gameplay leaks may have given players their biggest look yet at how Rockstar is changing the GTA formula.
The leaked material appears to show everything from vehicle refueling and trunk storage to an expanded wanted system, stealth mechanics, character abilities, basketball, and more.
Rockstar has responded to the unauthorized leaks, but many of the individual gameplay details shown have not been officially explained or confirmed as final features.
So, what have we actually learned?
Here are some of the biggest GTA 6 gameplay features reportedly revealed so far.
Vehicle Refueling
One of the most interesting features shown in the leaked gameplay is the ability to refuel vehicles.
A recent leaked clip reportedly showed Jason stopping at a gas station and interacting with the fuel system.
Vehicles also appear to have fuel-related information displayed through the game’s interface.
If this remains in the final game, GTA 6 could make owning and using vehicles more involved than previous GTA games.
Car Trunks May Actually Matter
Vehicle trunks could become part of GTA 6’s inventory system.
Leaked gameplay reportedly shows vehicles with different storage capacities, suggesting players may be able to keep weapons, equipment, or other items inside their cars.
That would make choosing a vehicle about more than speed and appearance.
It could also explain how Rockstar plans to limit how much equipment Jason and Lucia can carry at once.
A More Advanced Wanted System
The classic six-star wanted level appears to be returning.
However, escaping the police may be more complicated this time.
The leaked material suggests law enforcement could potentially identify players based on factors such as their vehicle, clothing, and appearance.
Changing vehicles or altering your appearance could therefore become part of escaping the police.
If implemented as it appears, GTA 6’s wanted system could be considerably deeper than GTA V’s.
Stealth Could Be Much More Important
GTA has experimented with stealth before, but GTA 6 may expand it significantly.
Recent leaked footage reportedly contains additional stealth-related mechanics and actions.
That could give players more options when approaching robberies, missions, and other criminal activities instead of immediately starting a shootout.
Character Abilities and Focus
Jason appears to have access to a Focus-style ability.
The system could function similarly to character abilities from GTA V while also borrowing ideas from Red Dead Redemption 2.
Leaks also appear to show character traits or abilities that can improve.
Exactly how these systems work remains unclear.
A Possible Karma or Morality System
One of the more mysterious discoveries is an icon that appears to reference negative karma.
That has led to speculation that GTA 6 could track certain player actions and potentially attach consequences to them.
However, this is one feature where players should be especially careful about jumping to conclusions.
Rockstar has not confirmed that GTA 6 contains a morality system, and an unexplained UI icon isn’t enough to know exactly what the mechanic represents.
Basketball
Basketball also appears to be playable.
The leaked material reportedly shows a timing-based mechanic connected to shooting the ball.
Small activities like this could be important to making Leonida feel like a world players actually live in rather than simply drive through between missions.
More Interactive Businesses and Locations
Gas stations are already appearing more interactive than they were in GTA V.
Combined with Rockstar’s official descriptions of Vice City and the wider state of Leonida, GTA 6 appears focused heavily on making its world feel dense and interactive.
Rockstar officially describes GTA 6 as its biggest and most immersive evolution of Grand Theft Auto yet.
Vehicle Damage Looks Significantly Improved
Vehicles appear to react to crashes and damage with much greater detail.
Recent leaked gameplay has drawn attention to deformation and damage that appears more advanced than GTA V.
Combined with fuel systems, storage and vehicle customization, cars could play a much larger role in GTA 6’s overall gameplay loop.
Jason and Lucia Remain at the Center of GTA 6
Unlike many of the leaked gameplay mechanics, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos are completely official.
Rockstar has confirmed both protagonists and revealed considerably more about their backgrounds.
Jason previously served in the Army before becoming involved with drug runners in the Leonida Keys.
Lucia was imprisoned in Leonida Penitentiary after fighting for her family and is determined to create a better life after getting out.
Their relationship sits at the center of GTA 6’s story.
Vice City Is Only Part of the Map
GTA 6 isn’t simply a return to Vice City.
The game takes place across the fictional state of Leonida.
Rockstar has already shown beaches, highways, swamps, islands, small communities and the urban streets of Vice City.
That gives GTA 6 considerably more environmental variety than a traditional city-focused GTA map.
What Is Actually Confirmed?
This is where the distinction matters.
Rockstar has officially confirmed GTA 6’s Leonida setting, Vice City, Jason and Lucia, its single-player focus, and its November 19, 2026 release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Rockstar’s second trailer was also captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5 using a combination of gameplay and cutscenes.
Features appearing only in unauthorized leaked footage should still be treated differently.
Refueling, expanded stealth, trunk inventory, karma mechanics and other leaked systems could be real features from a playable build without necessarily representing exactly what players will receive at launch.
Games change throughout development.
GTA 6 Could Be Rockstar’s Most Detailed Open World Yet
The biggest takeaway from the recent leaks isn’t any single feature.
It’s how many systems appear to interact with each other.
Cars may require fuel. Vehicles may provide storage. Police may remember identifying information. Characters may develop abilities. Businesses appear more interactive. Even smaller activities like basketball seem to have their own mechanics.
If these systems survive into the finished game, GTA 6 could push Grand Theft Auto much closer to the level of world simulation Rockstar experimented with in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Fortunately, we won’t have to rely entirely on leaks much longer.
Rockstar has announced an extended official look at Grand Theft Auto VI for August 27.
Until Rockstar shows those systems itself, however, leaked gameplay features should be considered potentially legitimate but not necessarily final.
Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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