GTA 6 is revamping the Wanted system and giving you a Criminal Profile
There's perhaps no gameplay feature that's more synonyms with Grand Theft Auto than the series' Wanted system. But like many of the mechanics that underpin the core of the series, it seems, the Wanted system in GTA 6 has evolved in significant ways.
We picked up on several key details from IGN's preview and the Netflix extended look . For starters, Wanted is back to the classic six-star system, just as some of the leaks showed . The police's awareness of your character has been pushed further, however. Suspect description now includes what you're wearing, the car you're driving, and whether or not you were spotted with another character.
That also means someone has to witness the crime for it to get the police's attention. Or, it has to be reported, such as when an alarm is set off. To help evade capture, you may choose to, well, do something that conflicts with the description the police has of you. This can be done by swapping your vehicle for a different one - or going on foot into a busy area, changing your outfit, or splitting up with your partner if the description calls for a couple.
Your Criminal Profile is the other major addition to GTA 6's crime system, and it exists as a new addition in GTA 6 right alongside the Wanted system. The Criminal Profile is apparently a more nuanced version of Red Dead Redemption 2 's Honor system, reflecting how you behave in the game.
"If you hit and run, commit a crime and run, get into trouble and move on before the cops get there, and you don't start shooting people, don't start escalating - which you absolutely can do if you want to - but if you don't, you're generally going to be fine," Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson explained to IGN.
"It's when you go beyond what is necessary on a consistent basis, or you do completely unnecessary stuff consistently, that you may start to sway your criminal profile in a certain direction," he added.
The Criminal Profile system's biggest feature is that it takes context into account. Whereas in Red Dead Redemption 2 you could essentially change your standing by repeatedly doing something that pushes it in the other direction; such as going around petting animals and greeting people after murdering an entire family and stealing their positions an hour earlier.
GTA 6's approach is smarter. For instance, you won't be penalised for defending yourself in an altercation, or firing back at pursuers. But you will be if you unnecessarily escalate situations. Your profile will reflect acts of kindness around the world, similar to RDR2, such as feeding stray animals.
"There isn't a right or wrong way to play this game, but consistent actions may have an impact in terms of how the world reacts to you and how the narrative plays out," Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told IGN.
Still, this is a game where you play as a pair of criminals, so the system expects you to behave in a certain way - this is not a game where you can be a model citizen.
"The narrative is such that it makes most sense for them to do what they need to do while not drawing unnecessary attention (even though sometimes that happens)," he added.
In a separate IGN article , Nelson expanded on Rockstar's intent with Criminal Profiles. It started when the developer decided the player character isn't the most dangerous person in the world, an ethos that began with RDR2.
"If you hit and run, commit a crime and run, get into trouble and move on before the cops get there, and you don't start shooting people, don't start escalating - which you absolutely can do if you want to - but if you don't, you're generally going to be fine," Nelson explained.
"It's when you go beyond what is necessary on a consistent basis, or you do completely unnecessary stuff consistently, that you may start to sway your criminal profile in a certain direction," he added.
We picked up on a few other details from all the new information, such as how romance is more of a focus in GTA 6 than people realise, and all the activities you can spend time doing.
Meanwhile, Rockstar has been accused of union-busting after the studio fired dozens of staffers late last year. Studio parent company Take-Two said the employees were let go for "gross misconduct". UK trade union Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), however, argued the firings "amount to victimisation and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity" . Formed earlier this year, the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) is seeking voluntary recognition from the studio after growing its membership following the dismissals.
GTA 6 releases 19th November on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.