GTA 6: 10 tips to get off to a good start on November 19

Pre-loading opens at midnight on November 12 and the game unlocks at midnight on November 19. With an estimated size of 150 to 200 GB, waiting until launch night to download means playing the next day. The steps for PS5 and Xbox are in our release time article, and the storage maths in our file size article.

With around 80 hours of story according to Rockstar North, most players will take weeks to finish. Summaries and screenshots of the ending will circulate within the first few days. Mute notifications from X, TikTok, Reddit and YouTube, or at least the keywords tied to GTA 6.

✅ Confirmed: in GTA 6, the police are only alerted if a witness sees you or a security system spots you. Officers then get a description, and on-screen icons show what was recognized: your face, your clothes, your car, and the fact that there were two of you.

The practical upshot: before a job, look at who is around. An empty street with no cameras will save you more trouble than a successful getaway.

✅ Confirmed: since the police are working from a description, changing what they saw works. A different outfit or vehicle makes you harder to identify. Patrols keep searching for a while before giving up, instead of forgetting the chase as soon as you leave an area.

The wanted level also goes back up to six stars, versus five in GTA V. On your first evening, it is better not to let things escalate just to see what the sixth level looks like.

🟡 Reported by the press and leaks: stealing a car is no longer a single button press. Smashing the window is fast but sets off the alarm and draws attention. A slower, quieter method, using a tool to open the door, keeps you from being noticed. With the new witness system, the second option is often worth the few extra seconds. We cover these mechanics in our article on gameplay spotted in the leaks.

✅ Confirmed: switching between Jason and Lucia is almost instant, with a press of the D-pad during missions. The character you are not controlling keeps acting on their own: shooting, taking part in robberies and covering the other in firefights. Money and weapons are shared between the two.

Get into the habit of switching to flank an enemy, or to let the AI hold a position while you move up. The duo is at the heart of the game, as we explain in our Lucia profile.

🟡 Reported by the press: the inventory is limited. Your character carries a main weapon, a handgun, a throwable and binoculars. The rest goes in a vehicle's trunk or a safehouse.

Before a mission, think about what you will need instead of taking everything. And keep a vehicle with your gear nearby: in GTA 6, the trunk actually matters. The arsenal shown so far is covered in our article on weapons and combat.

✅ Confirmed: weapons dropped on the ground can be picked up mid-firefight, which GTA V did not allow. If you are low on ammo or stuck with a handgun, the enemy you just took down may have something better. Enemies can also be wounded and knocked down without dying on the spot: an opponent on the ground is not necessarily out of the fight.

✅ Confirmed: the Extended Look shows basketball, diving, jet skis, kayaking, an arcade machine and a gym whose workouts visibly change the character's physique.

With a story estimated at 80 hours, it is tempting to rush through it. Mixing in these activities lets you discover the map of Leonida in a different way than through missions.

GTA Online is not available at launch: for the first weeks, it is story mode or nothing. Make the most of it, since the multiplayer servers will come later (see our article on the GTA Online schedule).

If cheat codes exist, avoid them on your main save: in GTA V, they disabled trophies for the session. We cover this in our cheat codes article. All your launch prep is in our GTA 6 launch guide.