Fat cops taking away weapons, passersby, and hats from the ground – new details about NPCs in GTA 6
New details about NPC behavior in GTA 6 surfaced after a closed preview event where journalists and content creators got hands-on time with a build of the game.
The information comes from blogger MikeShowSha, who spoke with Rob Nelson, Rockstar Games VP of development.
The Grand Theft Auto series has long built its sense of a living open world on how pedestrians react to the player, and this layer has expanded noticeably in the new entry. Rockstar confirmed a much larger set of animations now governs NPC behavior, letting characters look and act differently from one another.
One of the biggest details involves reactions to weapons. Pedestrians behave differently depending on how visibly armed the player is – some panic and run, while others try to close the distance and disarm them. A similar moment already appeared in the extended gameplay trailer, where an NPC lunged at Lucia during a robbery.
Items dropped by defeated enemies can now be picked up. During the session, a fight broke out with two NPCs, and one of them dropped a hat and glasses. Jason picked the items up off the ground and put them on. The mechanic could come in handy for quickly changing appearance while trying to shake off the police.
Police officers aren't all cut from the same cloth either. One cop, noticeably heavier than the rest, tried to chase Jason on foot but quickly fell behind. The officer ended up "bent over, exhausted, and out of breath."
The dramatic police car crashes from the extended gameplay reveal turned out to be unscripted. During the preview, Rob Nelson fired at patrol cars, and each vehicle reacted differently every time. He even recreated a crash similar to the one shown in the trailer right there during the demo.
Robberies now branch out further. At a regular store, the cashier admitted at gunpoint that there was a safe in the back, giving the player a choice – go for the bigger score or leave with the cash already in hand.
Out in the open world, Mike ran into a random crime event. Two masked women got stuck trying to rob a jewelry store and asked Jason and Lucia for help. The player can choose to assist them and then take the jewelry for themselves.
We didn't run into this situation ourselves for months during our own testing.
Pedestrian clothing changes depending on the neighborhood. Mike spotted NPCs in workout gear near gyms, while people in Jason's neighborhood wore regular everyday clothes.
