Early details of Grand Theft Auto 6 have sparked debate over whether Rockstar Games’ latest is too realistic for its own good. We’ve learned a lot about GTA 6 since its big extended skin reveal. While the 13-year wait for Jason and Lucia’s story already seems worth it to some, others fear that Rockstar has taken its commitment to realistic gameplay too seriously when it comes to its new open-world video game. The studio is known for packing its games with details that fans could spend years reviewing, and for better or worse, GTA 6 looks no different. Co-development leader Rob Nelson promised as much during a recent interview with content creator TGG. One element where the new Grand Theft Auto will differ from its predecessor is the way NPCs react to weapons, and Nelson teases that you can’t just walk around with an RPG and expect zero knockback. “The reactions are much more nuanced than before,” he said. “So if you have a long gun on your back, you should be fine. If you have one in your hand, people don’t like it, they react and start walking away from you. The more guns you carry and the way you carry them is important.” If the police see you, they will give you a warning. If you hold a long arm in both hands like you’re ready to shoot, things start to escalate.” It certainly sounds more like Red Dead Redemption 2 than Grand Theft Auto 5. Fans generally feel that 2013’s GTA game thrives on chaos, while 2018’s cowboy sim found strength in its calm, grounded moments. Nelson admitted that, in 2026, times have changed, explaining that Rockstar “felt that already “It doesn’t work with this resolution.” – with the behavioral sophistication we need from our population now.” “In GTA 5 you can pull a shotgun out of nowhere in front of people and they don’t react,” he explained. “That doesn’t work here.” GTA 6 Reveal: 15 New Screenshots, Including 1 Exclusive on IGNE Even a slight shift towards a more realistic Vice City is something fans have expected from GTA 6 for some time now, but that doesn’t make Nelson’s comments any less valuable. Should Rockstar lean into the cartoonish chaos that GTA is known for, or add the realism that made RDR2 special? That is the question that many have asked themselves in recent days. “Next this game will force you to file tax returns,” one fan joked. “I’m here for as complete an immersion as they can get,” argued another, “RDR2 is the best game I’ve ever played and I love that they’re making GTA 6 more like it.” in the middle, with one Reddit user noting that “The minute I pull out a gun, I’ll probably do something worse than brandish it, so this is fine.” Remember to carry c4, rpgs, molotovs and like 10 weapons at once in gta5, those days are over 😓 — Kashmarth (@kashmarth) September 4, 2026 When does a video game stop being a video game? emosxyual (@emosxyual) September September 7, 2026 Rockstar is surely well aware of the balancing act it needs to pull off, but that didn’t stop it from adding more realistic elements. A mechanic present in other open-world sandbox games that will debut in GTA in November will ask players to keep an eye on their car’s fuel. Yes, really. Leaning more towards the realism department, Nelson confirmed to TGG in a separate video that gas stations will allow players to repair and even refuel their vehicles. Loading the car “is usually not very expensive” and only takes about 10 seconds. It’s no surprise to hear that Rockstar already anticipated that players would be a little torn when it asked players to stop car chases with a quick pit stop. “That’s pretty quick to refuel,” Nelson said while looking for gas during the TGG preview event. “You can’t complain about that!” GTA 6 fans, in fact, have complained about that. So in GTA 6 yes. to:-eat-sleep-go to the gym-nurture my relationship-fill up my car with gasIsn’t the point of a video game to do things you can’t do in real life? This ultra-realism shit sounds exhausting. Brick (@FreeMarketDog) September 3, 2026. Imagine seeing this in gta6 pic.twitter.com/E4RJ6AKHl1— 🏆 – Andy (@codedandunited) September 7. 2026 I love that they added refueling to GTA 6. Imagine you’re being chased by the police and suddenly you run out of gas near the swamps, so now you have to ditch the car and run through the swamps, dodging alligators AND cops. This will result in so many unique gameplay moments pic.twitter.com/87XIX6OpsC — Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) September 7! 2026 “Oh, I can complain, man,” said one Reddit user. “I don’t even know anything about this and I’m already complaining.” “It should make the game more interesting: you steal a car, you run out of gas, you have to continue on foot, you try to find a gas station or a new vehicle,” another theorized. “More variation than driving indefinitely until you crash or run away. If I can’t stop, let them fill up while I complain about the price, then go in to pay, stand behind someone who’s buying 15 different chocolate bars and a bunch of scratch cards, then I don’t want to play this realism simulator!” joked one fan. Rockstar’s desire to bring players to a realistic Vice City extends beyond some new mechanics and gameplay features. This version of the Miami-inspired sandbox will also include what promises to be the most realistic map that players have explored in the series so far. With more realistic weapons and characters, there are also more realistic romantic options. Some couples have reported that falling in love with Jason or Lucia, or going to a strip club in the game, is cause for a breakup in real life. being too realistic would have caused players to buy groceries to restock their refrigerator. “We’re always trying to find the right balance between realism and ease of play,” Nelson told Famitsu (translation by GamesRadar). “Instead of just going to the refrigerator to grab a snack or visiting a restaurant just to play, we want to give meaning to every action.” One Reddit user nicely summed up how most will feel when they get their hands on the full release: “I just hope they remember to put in the fun. Realism is great, but if it’s too tedious it’ll be a pain.” We’ll know how realistic the gun restrictions, strip clubs, and gas tanks will be when GTA 6 launches in a few months. While we wait, be sure to check out IGN’s interview and preview. You can also find out about the new PS5 controllers Rockstar announced last week. Michael CripeMichael Cripe is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s best known for his work on sites like The Pitch, The Escapist and OnlySP.
