Earlier today, new gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaked onto the web, reportedly because a hacker really hates the shift from physical to digital happening in the game industry. While Rockstar hasn’t yet confirmed the validity of the leak, reuploads of the gameplay footage have continued to be removed due to copyright holder requests, according to sites like Twitter. And the footage that leaked looks very authentic.
So yeah, it seems like a few minutes of GTA 6 gameplay have leaked online. While Rockstar and Take-Two (and Netflix!) are likely frustrated about this news, we can dig through the footage and pull out new details about the upcoming open-world game launching in November on PS5 and Xbox.
Before we hop into the leaked details, I just want to make it clear that we have no way of knowing how old this build is and which parts of it will still be present in the game when it launches later this year. Some or all of the below details might change or be removed entirely between now and GTA 6‘s highly anticipated launch. So just keep that in mind while scrolling.
Playable Basketball
In one of the leaked GTA 6 gameplay videos, we see Jason playing basketball. We haven’t been able to play basketball in a GTA game since San Andreas. And this mini-game might be more important than expected.
“Focus” Stat
Interestingly, while playing basketball, we see a notification pop up after Jason makes a shot that seems to indicate a positive change to his “Focus” stat. That’s not a stat included in GTA V or GTA: San Andreas, so we can only speculate what it means, but it seems that mini-games like basketball might influence your characters’ stats.
Advanced Water Physics
After shooting a few baskets, Jason’s ball bounces hard off the house and rolls down a nearby boat ramp and into the water. And when it does so, it looks quite impressive. I know it’s a silly little detail to notice, but it really does look and sound like a basketball rolling into some water. If tiny details like this are being simulated, I’m very curious what else is being simulated in GTA 6’s open world.
Stamina Meter
In a different leaked GTA 6 gameplay video, we see Jason driving a car along a highway. After crashing into a delivery truck, the driver of the truck rams Jason’s car and gets out to fight him. It’s here that we see what appears to be a stamina meter pop up during the fist fight. It seems combat might not be as simple as in past GTA games where you could usually just spam the punch button a few times to win most fights.
Red Dead Redemption-like Melee Combat
Speaking of fighting, the melee combat in GTA 6, at least in this leaked video, looks a lot like Red Dead Redemption II‘s fisticuffs. Considering the melee and gun combat in RDR 2 was much better than what was found in GTA V, I’m happy to see Rockstar Games taking a page from its own open-world western.
Six-Star Wanted Level Returns
After beating the delivery driver to death, Jason picks up a wrench the driver was carrying and starts whaling on his corpse. After a few whacks, he receives a two-star wanted level. And when this happens, we can see four faded, unfilled star icons next to the two stars that are lit up. This seems to indicate that the six-star wanted level is back after being absent in GTA V, despite being a feature of previous GTA games. Does this mean the military can be called on Jason and Lucia if they get too out of hand?
New Police Awareness System
Underneath the police stars appear to be some new icons tied into a new wanted system. It seems these icons represent how much information the police have about you after committing a crime and going on the run. In the gameplay leak, police seem aware of Jason’s clothing, car, and general location. Perhaps ditching your car for a new one and changing your shirt will help you avoid the police patrolling for their suspect.
Morality
Perhaps the most intriguing moment in the leaked gameplay clip featuring Jason killing someone is a moment that seems to imply GTA 6 will feature some sort of morality system. After beating and killing the delivery driver, we see a small devil icon appear on the screen next to a negative symbol. This seems to indicate some sort of morality or reputation mechanic will be included in GTA 6. For a franchise that has long allowed people to be maniacs with little long-term punishment, this seems like an interesting wrinkle.
Loadout / Storage Options
After killing the driver, Jason runs back to his car, and as he approaches it, we see a few icons pop up mentioning “Storage,” “Loadout,” and “Close.” These words appear near white circular icons that likely will contain different button prompts. It appears GTA will have more context-sensitive, dynamic button prompts, which should make the game feel less clunky to play than GTA V and GTA Online, with its overreliance on hitting right on the D-pad for everything.
Engine / Gas Icons
After the fight and once Jason’s back in his car, we can spot a pop-up listing the car’s make and model on the screen. And below that are what appear to be icons representing the vehicle’s gas and engine. What does this mean? It’s possible that for the first time in the franchise’s history, players will have to manage fuel while driving around. And it might also mean that your car can break down and stop working without blowing up entirely. Both would add even more immersion to the world, though I could also see it getting annoying.
