In case you missed it, we put ten predictions on the record and promised to grade every one once Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look was over and now it is. The latest Grand Theft Auto VI footage ran about 26 minutes on Netflix, all of it single-player gameplay with Jason and Lucia, and Rockstar Games lined up with our board almost point for point. The best part? It threw in a couple of very welcome surprises.
How our Extended Look predictions held up
Our prediction | Confidence | Result |
|---|---|---|
The Extended Look shows real gameplay | High | Correct, it opened straight into it |
Jason and Lucia in playable action | High | Correct, with seamless switching |
A meaningful slice of Vice City and Leonida | Medium-high | Correct |
An official map size gets revealed | Low | Correct call, no size given |
GTA 6 Online gets a mention | Low | Correct call, never referenced |
Runtime of 15 to 30 minutes | Medium | Correct, about 26 minutes |
No PC version for launch | High | Correct, still PS5 and Xbox only |
November 19 holds, no delay | High | Correct, reaffirmed |
Rockstar holds back more than it shows | High | Correct, but generous for the format |
At least one genuinely new detail | Medium | Correct, and then some |
Every call from our pre-reveal piece, graded against what the showcase actually delivered.
We said real gameplay was coming and the show opened straight into it. The opening sequence featured a drug pickup for Boobie that falls apart fast, turning into a cover-based shootout. We said it would how the two leads would play as, and it did, switching seamlessly mid-mission with one driving while the other fires from the passenger seat or several other moments that we won't discuss too much because you have to watch it yourself, exactly the couple dynamic Rockstar has sold us for years. We called a meaningful slice of Vice City and the wider state of Leonida without a full tour, and that is what we got, from rooftop parties to Everglades boating.
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Grand Theft Auto VI: Everything We KnowRelease date, map, characters, gameplay and more, updated regularly.
The other calls we made held too. We bet Rockstar would not hand over an official map size, and it did not. We bet we wouldn't hear about the next Grand Theft Auto Online and we didn't. The runtime slotted right into our 15-to-30-minute range at about 26 minutes on base PS5, no PC announcement showed up, and the November 19 date held.
If we got anything wrong, it was when we predicted Rockstar would hold back more than it showed, and technically it did, with no full missions start to finish, no real story spoilers, and plenty saved for launch. However, after years of cinematic trailers, the sheer amount of concrete, systems-heavy gameplay it was willing to put in a Netflix show-style slot was more generous than we expected.
Calling it an appetizer doesn't undersell it at all. As it turns out, Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive just had a bigger serving ready than we thought.
Then, there were the details that we didn't really expect at all.
The details the showcase threw in that we did not predict
Surprise | What it is |
|---|---|
Petting (and scolding) dogs | A dog interaction with its own buttons and honor feedback that became an instant highlight |
A morality and honor system | Angel and devil-style icons track your actions, with choices said to cut deeper than past Rockstar systems |
Deep body simulation | Weight and muscle shift with food and exercise, while sleep, benders, and long chases visibly wear on Jason and Lucia |
Seamless dual-protagonist play | Free switching mid-mission and mid-chase, one shooting while the other drives, or splitting off entirely |
A stacked activity list | Scuba, jet skis, fanboats, basketball, dirt biking, and a proper racing circuit, among others |
Description-based wanted system | Three icons tracking your clothes, face, and vehicle, the exact mechanic fans had already rebuilt |
The fresh touches and systems that stood out, beyond our checklist.
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The dog petting turned into an instant meme, a Red Dead Redemption 2-style touch nobody had on their bingo card for a crime-game showcase. The body simulation from the Dazed deep-dive showed up on screen, cellulite and all, and the description-based wanted system, three icons for your clothes, face, and car, is the exact mechanic fans had already rebuilt as a mod for Grand Theft Auto V after the initial leaks before Rockstar made it official.
So, for the final tally, we got it nearly perfect, with the only real miss being that we lowballed how much Rockstar was actually willing to put on screen and how long it was.
We'll take what we can get. It's safe to say that GTA 6 marketing is full speed ahead, as short and as intense as TTWO CEO Strauss Zelnick promised.
We can't wait for November 19 to come, when we can finally stop grading predictions and start playing the game ourselves.