GTA 6 vs GTA 5: 20 Things You Can't Do Anymore

In this article

1. Your hands: controls and guns
2. Cars: Grand Theft Auto, for real
3. The police remember you now
4. Money can go down now
5. People, and your own life
6. Is GTA 6 too realistic? Our take
7. FAQ

GTA 6 changes more of GTA 5's muscle memory than any trailer let on. You can't steal every parked car with one button, carry a shotgun out of thin air, lose the police by turning a corner or keep the cash in your pocket when you die. Rockstar North's Rob Nelson summed it up for IGN: in older GTAs you were "a bit all-powerful", and this world is not like that. Below are 20 changes, grouped by what they affect, each with its source and what to do instead.

Your hands: controls and guns

1. Mashing X to sprint. Reported According to TGG's July preview at Rockstar North, reported by GTA BOOM, sprint moves to a click of the left stick (L3), which frees your right thumb for the camera while you run. Expect your thumb to tap X out of habit for the first week.

2. Letting lock-on do the work. Reported The same preview says aiming "leans toward free aim": aim stickiness can be adjusted in the options, but the default gives less lock-on than earlier GTAs. Official IGN adds that you can aim for an arm or a leg to put someone down without killing them, or shoot the gun out of their hand, and your best shots get a slow-motion replay. Check your aim settings before your first robbery.

3. Pulling a shotgun out of thin air. Reported Nelson told TGG, as reported by GamingBolt, that you can always keep two handguns concealed, while two long guns are always visible. Walk down the street with a rifle in your hands and people move away. Official The rest of your arsenal lives in your personal vehicle's trunk, and every weapon you've bought is always there. You can call that car to you at any time, so treat it as your armory.

In GTA 5, you can pull out a shotgun from nowhere in front of people, and they don't react. That doesn't work here.

Rob Nelson, Rockstar North, to TGG (via GamingBolt)

Cars: Grand Theft Auto, for real

4. Stealing any parked car with one button. Official Nelson told IGN that Rockstar has put "layers of stratification" into the vehicles. Older, cheaper cars need a slim jim, modern prestige cars need a key cloner, and some stay out of reach until you have the tools later in the story. Carjacking a car with a driver in it still always works, and you can simply aim a gun and tell them to get out. Our car theft guide covers the tools.

5. Keeping every car you steal. Official A stolen car has to be registered before it becomes your personal vehicle, and that costs money. The phone's WAiNK scanner app shows the price before you commit, along with whether a car is locked, alarmed or tracked. You can own several personal vehicles, each kept at a safehouse with a working trunk.

6. Cruising slowly in a stolen supercar. Official Some cars carry advanced trackers: drive too slowly and the police know where you are. It happened to Nelson in IGN's demo, shown by a blinking red light at the bottom of the screen. Scan before you touch the door.

7. Driving forever on an empty tank. Reported GTA 5 never had fuel. GTA 6 does, and electric cars charge at service stations. TGG says a fill-up takes about 10 seconds; Nelson called it pretty fast and said you can't complain about that. Our read: the real catch will be stolen cars, where the tank is whatever the last owner left. Glance at the gauge before a getaway.

The police remember you now

8. Watching the cops on your minimap. Reported According to the previews, police and enemies don't appear on the minimap. You still see the area they're searching. Official To find officers, use Focus, which Nelson describes as very similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's Eagle Eye.

9. Losing the cops by turning a corner. Official GTA 6's heat system means dispatch knows what you look like, what you're wearing, what you're driving and whether you're a couple, with icons under the wanted level showing what they know. Glasses and a cap aren't enough: Nelson needed a whole new outfit, and buying and wearing one removes your heat. Hollow white stars mean the police don't know what you look like, so you can leave quietly, but the "hot area" stays on the map for a while. Our wanted system explainer goes deeper.

10. Outrunning everything in any car. Official At three stars and up, IGN says escaping by car in the city is hard unless the car is very fast: streets are narrower and traffic is denser. Nelson's advice is to get off the streets, into alleys and over fences on foot. The good news: a crime is only reported if someone witnesses it or an alarm goes off.

11. Escaping while your partner takes the fall. Official If either Jason or Lucia is arrested, it's Busted and you respawn, even if the other was still getting away. Splitting up does work: if the police are looking for a couple, split, or tell your partner to run while you take the heat. Split early, not late.

Money can go down now

12. Keeping your cash when you die. Reported GTA 6 separates your bank account from the cash on you. Nelson told the French magazine Trois Couleurs, as reported by Beebom, that if he's killed without depositing it, that money disappears; Famitsu's interview (in a fan translation) says the same for getting busted. Hit an ATM before anything risky.

13. Robbing a store in ten seconds. Official Nelson says you can rob pretty much anything, and robberies are a choice between speed and greed: blowing a safe damages some of the loot, while searching for the combination pays more but gives the police time to arrive and wait outside. Park a getaway car out front and find the back door first. Our robberies and money guide covers the loop.

14. Turning loot into cash instantly. Official Stolen goods go to a fence, Red Dead style, with fences for jewelry and for cars. A car fence pays less for a damaged car, and a fence can give you tips such as a police impound's door code. Repair a car before you deliver it.

15. Doing the next mission whenever you like. Official Nelson says Rockstar made money matter more in this story: sometimes you'll need to raise a set amount before the main missions continue. The main earners are boosting and selling cars, holding up businesses, robbing stores and bank jobs. Keep a side hustle going so the story never waits for you.

People, and your own life

16. Expecting everyone to run from you. Official Nelson told IGN that in older games you were the only one with an invisible arsenal, and everyone but the police ran from you. In GTA 6 other people carry weapons and may start a fight, and you're not the only crazy person out there. Stand too close or follow someone too long and they notice. With your gun holstered, hold the left trigger to greet, taunt or defuse instead.

17. Eating whatever you want. Official Food gives a big health boost, but overeat and Jason or Lucia puts on weight; the gym builds muscle and strength, as it did for CJ. IGN calls it the first time since San Andreas that weight and muscle are back. Working out together, in Nelson's words, is "a 2-for-1".

18. Posting on Snapmatic. Official Snapmatic returns, but you can't post as Jason or Lucia because they're a couple on the run. You can follow accounts and browse, and the phone is now a physical object in their hand.

19. Ignoring your partner. Official Spend all day out and your partner may text that they're going to bed or ask you to lock up; ignoring it may hurt the relationship a bit. Romance is optional and gives no gameplay bonus, but Nelson says nurturing it will have a bearing on how their story plays out. Reported Previews say they can break up, while staying partners in crime. See our relationship system guide.

20. Going on a rampage with no record. Official The Criminal Profile tracks what sort of criminal you are. Crimes a mission needs, robberies and self-defence are fair game; repeatedly going beyond that shifts your profile, which can change how the world reacts and how the story plays out. IGN says even throwing away your own trash counts. It isn't Red Dead's Honor system: there's no right or wrong way to play. More in our Criminal Profile explainer.

There isn't a right or wrong way to play this game.

Rob Nelson, Rockstar North, to IGN

Is GTA 6 too realistic? Our take

Put fuel, food, outfit changes, registration fees and a partner who wants a reply in one list, and GTA 6 sounds like a second job. Even Nelson wasn't sure how fuel would land. But look at what actually went: the one-button car, the invisible shotgun, cops with goldfish memory and money that never mattered. Those were shortcuts, not the fun parts. Rockstar's own design still pushes hit-and-run play, one star is meant to be easy to escape, six stars is classic GTA chaos, and Nelson says he still plays it wild and chaotic. What isn't known yet is whether fuel, food or aim assist can be switched off; only aim stickiness is reported as adjustable. Our verdict: GTA 6 isn't too realistic. It's realistic about the things that used to be free, and still very much Grand Theft Auto everywhere else. For everything the game adds, see the IGN interview breakdown, and for the other side of this list, the 77 things GTA 6 does that GTA 5 didn't.

FAQ

Can you still steal any car in GTA 6?

Not every parked car. Official Cars are tiered: older ones need a slim jim, prestige cars need a key cloner, and some can't be stolen until you unlock the tools later in the story. You can always carjack a car with a driver in it.

Is there fuel in GTA 6?

Reported Yes. Nelson confirmed fuel to creators during the July preview, electric cars charge at service stations, and TGG says a fill-up takes about 10 seconds. Rockstar hasn't said whether it can be turned off.

Do you lose money when you die in GTA 6?

Reported You lose the cash you're carrying, not your bank balance. Nelson told Trois Couleurs that undeposited money disappears if he's killed, so deposit at an ATM before risky jobs.

How many guns can you carry in GTA 6?

Reported Two concealed handguns at all times, plus two long guns that are always visible, one on your back and one in your hands. Official Every weapon you've bought is kept in your personal vehicle's trunk.

Do police show up on the minimap in GTA 6?

Reported No. According to the previews, police and enemies aren't on the minimap, though you still see the area being searched. Official Focus, similar to Red Dead's Eagle Eye, helps you spot them.

When does GTA 6 come out?

Official November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. See our release date hub.

Sources

• IGN: GTA 6 Gameplay: 69 New Details We Learned, by Simon Cardy and Matt Purslow (August 27, 2026)
• IGN: GTA 6 Exclusive Preview, by Rachel Weber (August 27, 2026)
• IGN: GTA 6 Wanted System Explained, by Matt Purslow (August 27, 2026)
• IGN: How GTA 6's New Car Theft Mechanic Works, by Simon Cardy (August 27, 2026)
• IGN: GTA 6 RPG Stats, by Matt Purslow (August 27, 2026)
• IGN: GTA 6: The Big Interview, by Rachel Weber (October 7, 2026)
• GamingBolt: GTA 6 lets you carry 2 concealed handguns and 2 long guns, by Ravi Sinha (September 7, 2026)
• GTA BOOM: GTA 6 drops default lock-on, limits guns, sprint on L3, by Matt Gibbs (September 2, 2026)
• Dexerto: Rockstar says GTA 6's gas stops take just 10 seconds, by Zackerie Fairfax (September 6, 2026)
• Beebom: GTA 6 will change how you worry about money, via Trois Couleurs, by Sagnik Adhikary (September 23, 2026)
• Famitsu interview with Rob Nelson, English fan translation by iGrandTheftAuto (September 2026)
• Notebookcheck: GTA 6 new info, Jason and Lucia can actually break up, by Vineet Washington (September 8, 2026)

The GameSight team

We research GTA 6 from official sources and label every claim as official, reported or rumor. How we work · GameSight on YouTube