New GTA 6 gameplay preview has players 'getting fat' as controversial feature returns
Rockstar has confirmed that it’s bringing back San Andreas’ weight and muscle system feature for Grand Theft Auto 6.
As well as having to address a series of leaked videos this week, developers revealed new details about the most highly anticipated game of all time.
In an interview with Dazed, Rockstar said that Jason and Lucia’s bodies will change from over-eating, under-eating and going to the gym.
Sort of like in real life, if either character eats too much they’ll put on weight. Meanwhile, if they work out they will put on some muscle.
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“If you end up spending a long time away from your bed, on the run from police or on a multi-day bender, their features are going to pay the price for that as well,” Dazed explains.
“Between visual feedback mechanisms, deep relationship mechanics and the heightened realism of the world they inhabit, people might even think twice about going on the arcade-style rampages of GTA games gone by, once they land in Leonida.”
Dazed also noted a number of major changes to the franchise.
Players can switch between Jason and Lucia during missions
Gamers can fluidly switch between the pair during missions instead of being locked to one protagonist for an entire sequence.
So if Jason is travelling to a job, the player can drive as Jason and then switch to Lucia in the passenger seat.
It can be particularly helpful if a mission turns into a car chase and players can swap roles on the fly - from taking control of the character driving, then switching to the passenger to shoot at pursuing enemies.
You can scroll through an in-game social media feed
Sticking with the sitting inside the car analogy, you can switch from Jason driving to Lucia in the passenger seat and scroll through the social media feed on her phone.
Characters like Real Dimez also have their careers and story developments reflected through viral in-game social media posts
Jason is an ex-military drug runner
Providing a bit of a back story, Jason is described as an ex-military drug runner, while Lucia is a fighter who has recently been released from prison. Together, they form GTA VI’s playable criminal couple.
“We look back at our previous games with a critical eye,” said Rob Nelson, head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North. “And see where we want to evolve based on what we didn’t do as well as we would have liked to, either because we didn’t have the time, resources, or technological capabilities, or in some cases things we just didn’t do as well or consider as fully as we could have. A lot of what we do is very iterative – we adjust a lot of things by feel based on what is working and what isn’t.”
Other big changes include:
- NPCs react more realistically to the player’s actions.
- Reckless actions have greater consequences in the world.
- Jason and Lucia can explore and cause chaos independently.
- Jason and Lucia’s relationship is affected by player choices.
- Eating changes Jason and Lucia’s body weight.
- Exercise visibly builds and tones their muscles.
- Lack of sleep and heavy partying affect their appearance.
- Clothing, hairstyles and accessories offer deeper customisation.
- NPCs have more varied bodies, clothing and appearances.
- NPCs move, interact and express themselves more naturally.
- In-game brands and businesses form a more believable culture.
- Social-media posts can reveal stories and character developments.
- Leonida includes cities, beaches, rural areas and wilderness.
- Extensive real-world Florida research makes environments more authentic.
- Real race-car drivers helped develop vehicle handling.
Ned Luke addresses ‘woke’ GTA 6 claims
Ned Luke, who plays Michael in GTA 5 has hit back at claims that the new installment has gone ‘woke’ because of the introduction of a female character as a lead.
"Lucia's hard, man. In the trailer, she looked good. You get a lot of these clowns out here going, 'Rockstar's going woke, they're caving into the wokeness of the world'," Luke said.
"First of all, there's been other female protagonists in the past, but not in something as huge as this," he told IGN in 2024.
Where can I pre-order GTA 6?
Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders are officially live ahead of its global release on 19 November, 2026.
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Anish Vij