What should you do first when you start playing GTA 6?
The short answer
GTA 6 launches on 19 November 2026, so this is a plan drawn from details published before release. Jason and Lucia start with small crimes and bigger jobs come later in the story, so follow the early missions, then explore Leonida, scout a robbery and spend time on the pair's relationship.
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What this is based on
GTA 6 launches on 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This is a plan drawn from details published before release, not a walkthrough. Some day-one claims that the sources here do not confirm are listed at the end.
1. Follow the early story
Jason and Lucia start small. Early on you hotwire cheaper cars and pick basic locks, and the bigger jobs come later in the story. Some parked cars need tools that you unlock later, although you can still take a car from someone who is driving it.
Jason works for drug runners in the Leonida Keys, and Lucia is fresh out of prison. Raul Bautista, a seasoned bank robber who looks for talent willing to take big risks, is one of the named characters, as is Boobie Ike, who runs real estate, a strip club and a recording studio in Vice City.
You can switch between Jason and Lucia freely most of the time. Some story moments lock you to one of them.
2. Drive around and learn the map
Rockstar has named 6 areas of Leonida:
- Vice City
- The Leonida Keys
- Grassrivers
- Port Gellhorn
- Ambrosia
- Mount Kalaga National Park
The radio plays while you drive. Rockstar has previewed 6 stations: Flash FM, Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber and Dirty South Classics. On-demand podcasts are in the game too. Radio and podcasts play in vehicles and on foot, through headphones and earbuds connected to your character's smartphone.
There are also 62 kinds of birds to spot with binoculars. In a demo, identifying a gull at the beach added it to a wildlife logbook.
3. Scout before you rob
Before a robbery you can:
- Look for a back entrance.
- Find the safe code.
- Disable the security cameras, or take their footage.
In a jewellery store demo, a guard opened fire and the robbery turned into a chase with police cars and helicopters.
4. Spend time on Jason and Lucia
The two can call and text each other when they are apart and go on dates when they are together. Going to the gym or getting a drink counts as a date. So can robbing a liquor store, and there is a button to hold hands.
You can look after the relationship or let it get worse. Neglect has consequences, but how far they go is not clear yet.
Rockstar has also confirmed eating, working out and sleeping as physical activities for your characters.
5. Check your Ultimate Edition extras
If you bought the Ultimate Edition, these are yours to find:
- Mod shops: Rideout Customs, and One-Eyed Willie's for off-road modifications.
- Style: Sara's Unisex Salon, the Stock 305 clothing shop and Electric Fang Tattoo.
- Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, with a weapon locker and a fencing spot.
- PTT Youngin$ Compound in Southside Vice City, a gang compound you raid for special items and contraband.
What is not confirmed
Day-one videos mix confirmed details with guesses. The sources here do not confirm any of the following:
- Which character you play first, or when the second one joins you.
- Whether the Vercetti estate or the Malibu Club from GTA: Vice City return.
- How fences work in the Standard Edition.
- How races are set up, or what gyms offer beyond counting as a date.
- That you can kill any named story character early.
Treat those as things to find out for yourself on launch day.
Sources
- 6 New GTA 6 Gameplay Details From The Guardian's Rockstar Interviewvice.com
- Grand Theft Auto VI second trailer; characters and places detailedgematsu.com
- You Can Preview 6 Of The Radio Stations In Grand Theft Auto VI Right Now, Plus New Details About In-Game Podcastsgameinformer.com
- Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Editionplaystation.com
- Rockstar Officially Confirms New GTA 6 Gameplay Featuresgamerant.com
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