GTA 6 Preview Details New Lock On Aiming, Weapon Carry Limits and L3 Sprinting

The days of pulling a rocket launcher out of nowhere may be over. Jason and Lucia can keep two handguns concealed, but rifles and shotguns have to be carried openly or stored in a vehicle.

The restriction is one part of a much broader combat and movement overhaul detailed in TGG's latest GTA 6 deep dive. TGG watched Rockstar North head of development Rob Nelson play the game during a hands-off preview and has now explained how aiming, weapon storage, melee and movement work.

Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look showed several of these systems in action, while this new information fills in the controls and restrictions behind them. Our earlier breakdown of how GTA 6 plays covers character swapping, the criminal profile and wanted system; this is what happens when you draw a gun and start moving.

Lock-On Is No Longer the Default

GTA 6 leans toward free aim. Nelson told TGG that the game retains some aim stickiness and lets players tune it in the options, but the default has less lock-on than previous GTA games.

Enemies will not be plotted on the radar or mini-map either. However, Focus gives players a way to control a firefight: activating it slows the action and highlights lethal areas in red and spots that can incapacitate an enemy in yellow.

The hit markers follow the same visual language. White marks a normal hit, yellow shows an incapacitation and red confirms a kill. The Extended Look also shows the edge of the screen flashing yellow when Lucia incapacitates a man during hand-to-hand combat.

Long Guns Stay Visible

Each character can conceal two handguns. They can also carry two long guns, but only one fits on their back. Carrying a second means keeping it in hand.

That choice changes how people respond. A long gun slung across the character's back will usually pass without incident, while carrying one in hand makes nearby people move away. Police can issue a warning and holding the weapon ready in both hands begins to escalate the situation.

Any vehicle can temporarily store the long guns Jason or Lucia are carrying. Only their personal vehicle retains the complete selected loadout; weapons placed in a temporary car will not remain there permanently.

Guns Have More Kick

TGG watched Nelson use an assault rifle during a police shootout on Shore Drive. The weapon had more recoil, sound and impact than its GTA V counterpart, with Nelson firing in short bursts to keep it under control.

Quick swapping returns, kill cams can be switched off, and Jason and Lucia can physically hand firearms to one another. The Extended Look footage also appears to show a faster pistol fire rate than GTA V.

Engraved, painted and gold-finished guns all appear, pointing to a wider range of weapon finishes.

Melee Adds Blocking and Parries

Hand-to-hand combat includes a held block and a timed parry, a detail Nelson shared with Kinda Funny Games during its preview. The Extended Look shows Lucia blocking a strike before fighting back.

Cover remains on R1, while crouching lets the player keep moving and strafing. Shoulder switching also returns, making it easier to change the camera side while aiming around cover.

Sprinting Moves From X to L3

GTA's repeated X-button sprinting gives way to a click of L3. Moving sprint to the left stick leaves the player's right thumb free to control the camera while running.

Players can also set their default movement pace in the options, including a normal walk, faster walk or jog. That should reduce the familiar slow shuffle through interiors without forcing everyone into the same movement speed.

Water dives are more controllable as well. Fellow preview attendee El Rubius says players can choose their speed, whether to flip and the direction of the flip. That explains the exaggerated backflip Jason performs from a crane in the Extended Look: it is a player-controlled move rather than a fixed dive animation.

A More Deliberate GTA

Taken together, these changes make combat less dependent on lock-on aim, enemy dots and an unlimited weapon wheel. Players will have to watch the space around them, choose a practical loadout and decide whether carrying a second rifle is worth drawing attention before the shooting even starts.

The movement changes work in the other direction, giving players more control over how quickly they walk, run and enter the water. GTA 6 is taking away some long-standing shortcuts, but it is also replacing them with options that fit the way each player wants to move and fight.