GTA 6 Beginner's Guide: 20 Things to Know Before You Play

GTA 6 rewards players who unlearn GTA 5 habits. These twenty tips cover the systems that will trip up veterans most.

Police and heat

1. Stars aren't just a timer anymore. Watch the colour: white means they see you, grey means they're investigating, red means they're hunting your area, hollow means they don't know it was you. Full guide.

2. Read the icons under the stars. They tell you exactly what police know — your face, clothes, car, weapon, number of suspects, CCTV. Each one is a problem you can fix.

3. Change clothes, swap cars, ditch guns. That's how you escape now. Burning the getaway car removes the vehicle icon.

4. Wear a mask for anything risky. It keeps your face out of the description.

5. No witness, no crime. The game checks whether anyone saw you. Pointing a gun at someone gives a single local star; walk away and it fades.

6. Cops aren't on the mini-map. Listen for sirens, watch the screen edges, use focus.

Weapons

7. You carry four guns, not forty. Two long, two short. The rest live in your car's trunk.

8. Visible weapons scare people. A rifle in your hands on a busy street is asking for trouble. Sling it or holster it.

9. Learn Focus early. Red zones kill, yellow zones disarm. Disarming is often smarter than killing.

10. Aim assist is weaker. Practise at a shooting range before a big job.

Money

11. Bank your cash. Cash on hand is lost when you're busted or killed, and capped at around $20,000. The bank is safe.

12. Stolen goods aren't money yet. You have to sell them to a fence.

13. The story will ask you for money. Some jobs won't start until you've raised the cash. Keep a buffer.

You and your partner

14. Your criminal profile is always watching. Professional, Aggressive, Violent, Psycho — and too much Psycho breaks it permanently. Details.

15. Spend time together. Beach walks, cycling, gym sessions and drives build closeness. Hold R2 to hold hands. Relationship guide.

16. Let your partner drive. You'll have both hands free to shoot or enjoy the view.

Survival and lifestyle

17. Eat properly, sleep regularly. Health and stamina only partially regenerate; food and rest restore the full bar. Coffee = stamina, protein shake = health.

18. Go to the gym. Three exercises a day; every third visit nudges health or stamina up permanently. Snacks without exercise make you heavier.

Vehicles

19. Old cars are easier to steal. A slim jim opens them and they have no trackers. Expensive new cars may be tracked until you reach a fence.

20. Keep your personal car close — and fuelled. It's your armoury and wardrobe. Scooter Bros will deliver it anywhere for a small fee, and cars go a long way between fill-ups, but don't start a getaway on an empty tank.