IGN's Full Rockstar Interview Adds New GTA 6 Details

IGN has published its full interview with Rob Nelson, co-studio head of Rockstar North, recorded in July while he played about 30 minutes of GTA 6 for the outlet. The headline systems from that demo (the new Wanted system, car theft and Jason and Lucia’s relationship) came out in August. The complete transcript adds context and several details that hadn’t surfaced until now, and here they are separated from what was already known. IGN GTAVice

Nelson says it plainly, “You can rob pretty much anything,” and proves it by walking into a headphone store. He admits he should have prepared by parking a getaway vehicle out front, and skips it to see what happens. Inside he finds the safe and looks for the combination; he’s carrying an explosive, but opening it that way would damage some of the loot. Police start gathering outside and he slips out the back door. IGN

He also explains how much robberies matter outside the story: the robbery sequence in the extended video represents “a HUGE amount” of what you can and need to do between story missions. The full system is in our GTA 6 robberies guide.

Asked what happens when a couple on the run gets arrested, Nelson says that if either of them is caught, “Busted” appears and you respawn, just like in previous GTA games. How stars, heat and escapes work is in our guide to police in GTA 6.

Mid-chase, Nelson says he now has Adrenaline, which is useful for getting out of there. He doesn’t explain how you earn it, how long it lasts or exactly what it does, so for now all we know is that it exists and helps you escape.

The character you’re not controlling follows their own routine: sometimes they’re at the safehouse, sometimes they’re out doing their own thing. In the demo, Nelson switched from Lucia to Jason and found him in the shower. If you spend the whole day with one of them, the other texts you before heading to bed; replying “see you later” is enough, and ignoring them can hurt the relationship a little. How switching works is in switching between Jason and Lucia.

Rockstar has tried to open up missions wherever it doesn’t hurt quality. Nelson gives two examples from the extended video: the tower block escape has several routes out, and in the mission where they meet Raul, once you take the wheel the game marks an optimal route you don’t have to follow, because the mission is essentially a police chase. The goal is for robberies and police to behave the same in a mission as in the open world. IGN

Asked whether the ending depends on many small choices or a few big ones, Nelson says both: the small ones add up to mean something, and some big ones carry a lot of weight the moment you make them. He also says GTA 6 won’t have as much of the changing world RDR2 had, with houses under construction and the sawmill, because it’s not as big a part of this story.

• Gym as a couple. Go together and both of them work out at once, so you improve both characters’ stats in one visit. More in GTA 6 activities.
• Quick waypoints. Hold down on the D-pad to set a waypoint without opening the map.
• Odd encounters. Lucia met a man living in a dumpster: you can give him pills or not, come back later for legal advice and even climb in with him.
• More ads than ever. There are more in-game radio and TV ads than in any previous GTA.
• Satire without trendy slang. Rockstar avoids memes, very specific political issues and overly current slang so the game doesn’t date badly.
• Dialogue that surprised Rockstar. Jason suggested stealing an Infernus from a police impound lot as they drove past, and Nelson hadn’t heard that line yet: “The game is so big, I don’t know that there’s anybody on the team that knows all of it.”

What we already knew from August

The demo also covers systems we’ve already reported: the phone scanner and tools for stealing cars, the fence paying less for damaged cars, the Criminal Profile, Focus, changing clothes or splitting up to lose the police, the personal vehicle’s trunk with outfits and weapons, Ryde Me as fast travel, Snapmatic without posting, and the narrower streets. The overall picture is in GTA 6 gameplay.

Sources

IGN — GTA 6: The Big Interview with Rob Nelson

GTAVice — IGN’s full GTA 6 interview reveals even more gameplay details

Last verified: October 7, 2026.