A large volume of Grand Theft Auto VI footage leaked in August, prompting Rockstar Games to acknowledge the leaks and confirm that the material is authentic. Despite the unofficial gameplay circulating online, the developer’s first official look at GTA VI gameplay is still scheduled to air on Netflix Thursday.
The presentation, billed as an “Extended Look”, will be available to Netflix subscribers at 3 p.m. ET before being uploaded to YouTube at 9 p.m. ET. Rockstar has not said how long the footage will run or exactly what it will show, but the presentation is expected to offer a detailed look at how the game plays.
Here are three major things to watch for during the extended GTA VI presentation.
Will Lucia be a playable protagonist?
Early marketing for GTA VI has strongly suggested that the game will feature two protagonists: Jason and Lucia, a couple whose relationship appears to draw on the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde dynamic. It is a distinctive premise for the series, but Lucia has been almost entirely absent from the leaked footage released so far.
Although Lucia has appeared briefly in leaked cutscenes, the footage has largely focused on Jason. There is a possibility that Lucia is not playable, but that would be a major disappointment. The main Grand Theft Auto series has not featured a playable female protagonist since it became a major success on the PlayStation 2.
GTA V included three protagonists, so it is reasonable to expect GTA VI to feature two. Confirmation that Lucia is playable would be one of the most important details in the Netflix presentation.
New gameplay features beyond GTA V
Another weakness of the leaked footage is its focus on activities that players have already experienced in earlier Grand Theft Auto games. Beating up civilians, stealing cars and visiting strip clubs are all familiar features after nearly three decades of the series.
One leak showed a playable basketball mini-game, but GTA V already included tennis and golf. Other clips have reportedly shown vehicles requiring fuel and police officers recognizing changes to the player character’s appearance. Those ideas could add depth, but the leaked footage has not clearly demonstrated how they work within the game’s wider design.
GTA VI is being released 13 years after its predecessor. The extended look should reveal what Rockstar has developed during that time beyond making beach towels look highly detailed. Will the game expand on the depth of non-player character interactions seen in Red Dead Redemption II? Will it introduce genuinely original systems or activities? The Netflix presentation should begin to answer those questions.
A sign that GTA VI’s writing has improved
The most important—and perhaps least likely—thing to see in the GTA VI footage is evidence of stronger writing. The humor in earlier Grand Theft Auto games was once appealing, but by the time GTA V arrived, Rockstar’s abrasive, juvenile and sometimes openly hateful satire of American culture had become difficult to tolerate.
Satirizing America can be effective and necessary, but the series’ traditional approach has often felt more grating than insightful. More than anything else, the Netflix footage should offer a sign — just one — that Rockstar has changed direction.
A completely earnest or “woke” GTA game is unlikely, but a story that is more self-serious, heartfelt and focused on its characters would be welcome. Red Dead Redemption II was not perfect, yet it demonstrated a stronger path for storytelling in Rockstar games. GTA VI should follow it.
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