Rockstar North’s co-studio head Rob Nelson says Grand Theft Auto 6 aims to advance the series while retaining the qualities that made earlier games popular. He emphasised a vast, highly detailed version of Leonida designed for meaningful exploration and activities, rather than simply completing side missions for money or progression.

A central change is a more elaborate NPC interaction system, developed from ideas used in Red Dead Redemption 2. Pedestrians will have extensive ambient conversations, notice players who eavesdrop or follow them, and react in different ways, while distinct areas are intended to have their own styles and dialogue. Nelson said the world is so large that no single developer fully knows all of it, and that Rockstar dedicated significant research and a Los Angeles-based team to NPC dialogue.