It’s quite literally the name of the game: Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series is all about stealing cars. And the latest installment of the franchise, GTA 6, seems like it’s about to revolutionize one of the most thrilling experiences players can have in a video game. What could be more fun than stealing a fabulously expensive car, speeding around, crashing into stuff, and then ditching it on the side of the road in a battered heap?
Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look premiered on Netflix back on Aug. 27, but having watched it again for a second time, a lot of new details stuck out to me. After the cold opening sequence with the drug deal gone wrong, what’s the first thing we see? Jason stealing a car. It’s an orangey-red American beater with a black vinyl top, and looks to be of a late ‘70s or early ‘80s pedigree. A prompt appears on-screen: one button to bust the window, another to use a slim jim to edge the window down slightly and release the lock, leaving the window intact. Jason chooses the latter, which takes a bit longer and requires some precise inputs on the controller, but is less likely to attract attention.
Back in GTA 5, stealing cars was a more streamlined affair: you’d approach a vehicle with someone in it, and force them out with a single button press. You could also aim your weapon at them to force them to abandon the car, or bust open the window of a parked car with a well-placed elbow, but it was still a pretty simple process. That’s no longer the case in GTA 6.
According to IGN, the latest game in the series will introduce a tiered security system for stealing cars. Just like in real life, pricier vehicles with enhanced technology will require specific skills and tools to steal. That means players will have to think more deeply about which cars to boost, and when. This time around, Jason and Lucia will have access to a device called a “wank scanner,” which will display information about a car’s security system and value.
While we don’t yet know how many different types of theft protection there will be in GTA 6, we do know that some vehicles will have electronic keys, meaning you’ll need to clone those keys digitally. Other cars will have electronic tracking devices that could alert law enforcement if you drop below a certain speed, meaning you’ll need to keep the pedal to the metal as much as possible. (I’m not sure if this is based on real-world technology, but incentivizing someone who’s stolen a car to drive as fast as possible sure seems like a terrible idea!)
What’s more, unlike in previous GTA games, in GTA 6, you’ll be able to sell any car you’ve stolen. This game will have a fence system for stolen goods that’s more similar to that of 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Who doesn’t appreciate a lucrative side-hustle?
A particularly memorable scene from the Netflix preview saw Lucia discovering an influencer in the trunk of the car she had just stolen. In addition to adding depth to the basic elements of theft, this opens up the prospect of more scenarios where our protagonists find outlandish surprises in ill-gotten vehicles. Imagine the possibilities! A big briefcase full of drugs! A backseat full of birthday balloons! A snoozing stoner!
Please, Rockstar. Just let me steal a car that has an angry alligator in it at some point in GTA 6. I’ll even forgive the game’s sorely disappointing lack of a twerk button.
GTA 6 will be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Nov. 19.