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Tips & tricks for GTA 6

No one has played GTA 6 at home yet, but the Extended Look and press previews are enough to prepare for your first hours. Here's the essentials before November 19, grouped by category — the full breakdown, tip by tip, is in our beginner's guide.

Before you launch the game

Preload starting November 12

Preloading opens a week before release. With an estimated size of 150 to 200 GB, waiting until launch night means playing the next day.

Protect yourself from spoilers

With around 80 hours of story, most players will take weeks to finish the game. Mute GTA 6 notifications during the first week.

Police and wanted level

Police only spot you if a witness saw you

The witness system tracks your face, your outfit, your vehicle, and whether you were with a partner. An empty street beats a lucky escape.

Change outfit and vehicle after a job

Since police remember a specific description, changing what they saw actually works. The wanted level also goes up to six stars, versus five in GTA V.

The Jason & Lucia duo

Switch characters mid-action

The switch is nearly instant. Whoever you're not controlling keeps acting on their own — shooting, taking part in heists, covering the other in a firefight.

Money and gear are shared

No need to manage two separate inventories: resources are shared between both characters.

Combat and inventory

Sort out your weapons

The inventory is limited: one primary weapon, a handgun, a throwable and binoculars. Everything else goes in a vehicle's trunk.

Pick up enemy weapons

Unlike GTA V, dropped weapons can be picked up mid-firefight — useful if you're running low on ammo.

Frequently asked questions

Is GTA Online available at GTA 6's launch?
No. On November 19, 2026, only story mode launches. GTA Online will arrive later, with no official date to date.
How do you escape the police in GTA 6?
Police react to what a witness saw: face, outfit, vehicle, and whether you were with a partner. Changing outfit and vehicle after a crime makes identification harder.
Is the weapon inventory limited in GTA 6?
Yes, according to press previews: one primary weapon, a handgun, a throwable and binoculars. The overflow gets stored in a vehicle's trunk or a safehouse.
Can you switch characters at any time in GTA 6?
The Extended Look shows a near-instant switch between Jason and Lucia during missions, with a simple press of the d-pad.

Go further

Completed after release

More tips are coming starting November 19, 2026

This page will be expanded with what we learn from actually playing, controller in hand.

See all GTA 6 articles