The cops in GTA 6 are gonna be way more brutal and deadly compared to any other GTA game. That’s because for the first time, Rockstar has added features that not only make the cops’ AI way smarter but also completely change how the wanted level works in the game. Let’s take a detailed look at how the wanted system would work in GTA 6!
Multiple Police Agencies
One big complaint everyone had with GTA 5 was that the whole city’s law and order was handled by just two police agencies: LSPD and SAHP. But in GTA 6’s trailers, we’ve spotted hints of multiple police agencies, something we’ve never really seen in a GTA game before. Like in this scene where cops are arresting some criminals, the car there clearly belongs to the Vice City Police Department. Then we see a Vice City Dale County Sheriff’s car. By the way, in one trailer shot, there’s even a helicopter labelled Vice City Dale.
In a screenshot Rockstar posted on their website with Trailer 2, we also get a look at a Vice Beach Police car. And in the trailer part showing a highway accident or maybe some natural disaster, we can spot a Florida State Trooper vehicle. In Trailer 1, there’s a Leonard County Sheriff vehicle. From the 2022 leaks, we also know there’s a Port Gellhorn Police Department vehicle. Plus, the trailer hints at an Ambrosia County Sheriff as well. And remember that scene with the crocodile? The guy handling it is wearing a POACH uniform, which stands for Protection of Animals and Controlled Hunting. So yeah, it’s safe to say GTA 6 is gonna have a whole bunch of different agencies and unique police vehicles, making the cops in this game way more interesting and way tougher to deal with.
Female Cops In Action
In GTA 6, we’ll finally be playing as Lucia, the first-ever female protagonist in the series, which honestly took like 25 years to happen. So naturally, another question pops up: are we gonna see female cops in the game? The answer is yes, and not just that; their role is going to be massive. Some fans already spotted a female cop in Trailer 2 at the 48-second mark. But here’s the catch—this isn’t the first time we’ve had female cops.
They were technically in GTA 5, too. And that’s true, but in GTA 5 their impact was basically zero. They never showed up at crime scenes, they weren’t part of police chases, and they barely even appeared in the world. In GTA 6, though, the moment we see this female cop is during an actual crime scene where criminals are being arrested. That alone tells us their involvement in the game’s world is gonna be way bigger, and their role overall is gonna be massive.
Unique and Tough Police Chases
We’ve also got hints about tougher police chases from Take-Two Interactive’s “Virtual Navigation” patent, which was filed back in 2021. According to this, the driving of NPCs and cops in GTA 6 is gonna be way more advanced compared to previous GTA games, making chases more unique and definitely harder. For example, when cops chase criminals, they’ll be able to use alleys and shortcuts, and even try to push suspects toward dead ends or roadblocks. In GTA 5, cops didn’t care at all about civilian safety—they’d crash into traffic and cause accidents nonstop.
But in GTA 6, cops are expected to prioritise civilians, avoiding reckless driving in dense traffic and instead speeding through less crowded roads. NPC drivers will also act smarter during chases, driving carefully, clearing the way, and even reacting when cops alert them to move aside. On top of that, cops will stay in constant communication with HQ and other officers through radios, making chases feel more coordinated. And based on the 2022 leaks, police will also gear up with military-style bulletproof helmets and vests during these encounters. All of this combined means cops will actually try to control crimes and heists in the city more effectively than ever before.
Crime And Heists
Both trailers showed a ton of crime and robbery scenes, which makes it pretty clear how big a role they’ll play in GTA 6. For example, the Keys Archipelago area looks like it’s gonna be a hotspot for criminal activity. Its waterways are perfect for smuggling routes, so we can expect a lot of missions and police chases happening there. The Ambrosia part of the city seems packed with bikers, and that area will likely be full of illegal races, smuggling, and extortion. Crocodile hunting and catching are also gonna be treated as a criminal activity.
In one screenshot, you can even see people holding a crocodile and posing for a photo. We’ve also spotted supermarket and liquor store robberies in the trailers, which might not tie directly into the main story but could work as side quests or a quick way to make money. For the first time in a GTA game, instead of cops just spawning at a crime scene, they’ll actually drive there realistically. Plus, the game will even show on-screen how long it takes for the cops to arrive. That opens up a lot of creative possibilities. Like, if you’re mid-robbery and the cops catch you, you could end up on their wanted list, which then makes future missions way harder for you.
Cops Will Remember Criminal’s Appearance
Because in all the robbery and crime scenes shown in the trailers, Jason and Lucia keep their faces hidden with masks or bandanas so eyewitnesses or cops can’t ID them. After any crime, the law remembers a criminal’s face and vehicle. If you show up again on the authorities’ radar, they can arrest you. We first got hints of this system in the 2022 leaks. Players will be able to see whether any witness or cop recognises them or their car — basically, if there’s evidence against you, the game will let you know. That means, like in RDR, you might be able to surrender or bribe your way off the books. That’s even more important because the game will have working CCTVs.
CCTV and Security System
Because of these CCTVs, we can be under police surveillance 24 hours a day. We first learned about working CCTVs in the game from the 2022 leaks. Also, that trailer scene where someone walks into the crocodile shop was recorded on CCTV. We’ve already seen the social media craze in the trailers. People do anything in public and then upload or stream it online.
So NPCs will constantly record city crimes and upload them to social media. That will make it even easier for police to track down criminals. Because of that, robbing stores with CCTVs will be harder compared to shops that don’t have cameras or are in very isolated locations. For this reason, tools to disable CCTVs or security systems could become a part of the game.
Weapons and Throwables
And yeah, weapons are gonna matter just as much as tools. The trailers showed everything from handguns to grenade launchers. For handguns and pistols, we spotted stuff like the Beretta M9, Glock, Colt Python, and the Mustang .357. For automatics, there are M4 Carbines, AKs, and AR variants at the gun shops. Rifles include an AR variant, an M14, and some hunting rifles. Shotguns showed up, too, classic pump shotguns and an M4 semi-auto shotgun.
We also saw SMGs like the MP5 and MP9. And at the top end, big boys like MGs and a grenade launcher appear in the trailers. That’s just what the trailers showed. The 2022 leaks added more: lots of throwable and melee weapons like fire bottles, golf drivers, gold wedges, hammers, knives, and even a flashlight. Throwables included flashbangs, golf balls, grenades, molotovs, and smoke grenades. The legendary Ammu-Nation shop is making a comeback. With this wide weapon and throwable variety, combat’s gonna be next level. One catch, though: you can only carry a limited number of weapons at a time.
Prison and Judicial System
Look, at the start of the game, Lucia’s gonna be in prison. And Jason’s out of prison. Yeah, but if we get a prologue where Lucia and Jason get arrested by the police, that’s a different story. Anyway, in the story, Jason picks Lucia up after bail. And they end up together. But after she gets out of prison, we see Lucia wearing an ankle monitor. And after prison, on parole, she’ll have to do community service.
Now Lucia is getting arrested and serving time— is that part of the story or actual gameplay? We can’t say that yet, but if it’s gameplay, then we can expect that after being arrested by the police, we’ll have to serve time like in RDR2. But will the game have a judicial system? Like, can we hire our own lawyer or get off because of a lack of evidence? Anyway, whatever it is, we’ll learn the details gradually.
Diverse Police Vehicles
In the trailers, we’ve already seen a bunch of police vehicles. The cop cars in GTA 6 look inspired by real-life rides like the Dodge Charger, Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Explorer, Ford Taurus, and even the Dodge Challenger. Along with all the police agency cars, there’s also a police helicopter shown in this scene. And in Trailer 2 at 1:58, you can spot three different types of police vehicles—the first one is probably a SWAT truck, and the other two are regular police cars.
Now, since oceans and beaches are such a big deal in this game, it makes total sense that alongside police boats, we’ll also see POACH airboats and coast guard boats. And that’s just what we’ve seen so far from the trailers and leaks. Who knows how many more types of police vehicles are still left to be revealed in Trailer 3 or the gameplay trailer? But one thing’s for sure—with this much variety in vehicles, police chases are gonna be seriously tough.
Wanted System
We can definitely say that the wanted system in this game is gonna be a big upgrade from the older GTA titles. And backing that up is a pretty trusted insider from the community, Tez2. He recently mentioned that the game’s wanted system is gonna be more like what we saw in RDR2. So basically, if an eyewitness sees you committing a crime, they can actually report it to the cops. And to stop them from doing that, you’ll either have to bribe them or intimidate them.
But if the cops do manage to catch you, you might end up in prison, just like in RDR2. Even the cops won’t just shoot on sight like they did in GTA 5. Instead, they’ll try to arrest you first, keeping civilian safety in mind. And get this—even the most missed feature from GTA 5, the 6-star wanted level, might actually be making a comeback. GameRoll dropped a little hint about it in one of their X posts. Now, how much can we really trust that? Can’t say for sure. But if the 6-star cops do return in GTA 6, the chaos in the city is gonna be on a whole new level.
Also Read: Map Mistakes Rockstar Should Avoid In GTA 6
And yeah, chaos is guaranteed when GTA 6 drops, but what are some of the features you want to see return from previous games? If you wanna see 20 features GTA 6 should totally steal from Vice City, do check out our dedicated post: 20 Features GTA 6 Should Steal From GTA Vice City. If you liked this one, make sure to check out our blog section.
