GTA 6 Beginner’s Guide: What to Know Before You Play

The basics

• Never heard of GTA? Start with what is GTA 6.
• Official Who you play as: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.
• Official Where: Leonida, a fictional Florida. Areas shown so far: Vice City, Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga. See the map guide.
• Official Platforms: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. No PC date yet.
• Official Age rating: for adults. Parents, see is GTA 6 for kids.

Set up before your first session

1. Finish the pre-load and keep free space (file size guide).
2. Turn on subtitles and check the controller layout in the settings menu.
3. Adjust brightness on the first screen so dark areas are readable.
4. Turn off auto-play of story clips on social apps if you want to avoid spoilers (spoiler-free guide).

Habits that helped in past GTA games

These come from GTA 5 and earlier games. Rockstar has not confirmed how each works in GTA 6, so treat them as general tips.

• Save often. Past GTA games used save points and autosaves after missions.
• Do story missions first. They usually unlock new areas, shops and side activities.
• Do not spend all your money early. In GTA 5, some story missions paid much more once you had saved up. See the money guide.
• Use the map and GPS. Set a waypoint instead of driving around lost.
• Wanted level: break line of sight and hide to lose the police faster.

Avoid these beginner mistakes

• Downloading “GTA 6 mods”, “cheat apps” or “free money” tools. These are scams (scam checker).
• Believing leaked “secrets” before launch. Check our rumor tracker.
• Expecting GTA 6 Online on day one. See GTA 6 Online release date.

Sources

• Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto VI ↗

Last checked: 24 Oct 2026. Labels: Official = Rockstar or platform holder, Reported = previews or press, Unconfirmed = not stated by Rockstar.

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