One of the mechanics that changes the most in Grand Theft Auto VI compared to previous installments is the police system. Rockstar showed it in the Extended Look and it brings two important new features: one more wanted level and police that identify you by specific characteristics.
Six stars instead of five
GTA V used a maximum of five stars for its wanted level. GTA VI expands the scale to six.
Many players have wondered whether the wanted level goes up to the classic 6 stars gta style, and the answer is yes. That sixth level implies a police response escalation above anything seen in the previous installment. Rockstar has not publicly detailed exactly which units intervene at each level, so any exhaustive table you find circulating right now is speculation.
The big new feature: the police recognize you
This is the fundamental change, and it completely alters the way you escape.
In previous GTAs, losing the police was basically a matter of distance and time: you left the search circle, waited, and they disappeared. In GTA VI that is not enough, because the police identify specific elements:
- Your vehicle. The car you were seen in gets marked.
- Your clothes. The outfit you were wearing during the crime.
- Your face. The character’s face.
- Your companions. The people who were with you.
If you keep all those elements, you will still be identifiable even if you get far away.
How to lose the police
The strategy follows directly from the above, and it is much more akin to a stealth game than the classic escape of the series:
- Change vehicle. This is probably the most recognizable element. Ditching the getaway car goes from being optional to being a priority.
- Change clothes. Your wardrobe ceases to be purely cosmetic and takes on a gameplay function.
- Modify your appearance. If the face counts, covering or altering it has an impact.
- Separate from the group. Being accompanied by the same people keeps you identifiable.
This turns the escape into a sequence of chained decisions, rather than a straight-line race.
Why it is an important change
The GTA star system has been practically the same for two decades: you commit a crime, the police appear, you escape or die. It worked, but it was predictable.
With feature recognition, each pursuit presents a different problem depending on how you were seen. Being identified in a car that you can quickly ditch is not the same as being on foot with your face uncovered in a crowded area.
It also fits with other mechanics shown in the Extended Look, such as the vehicle’s trunk functioning as a mobile armory: if the car matters so much, deciding when to abandon it has real consequences.
What we still don’t know
- Which units appear at each star level.
- How long it takes the police to “forget” a specific vehicle or appearance.
- If there are differences by area of the map, between Vice City and the rural areas of Leonida.
- How it interacts with co-op mode, if such a thing exists.
We will expand this guide as Rockstar publishes more details or, after launch, when we can verify it by playing.
You can review the rest of the mechanics shown in the official material in our guide on GTA 6 controls and accessibility, or check who Jason and Lucia are.