GTA 6 preview: Focus aim, rifle rules and L3 sprint

Rockstar North demonstrated updated combat and movement systems for Grand Theft Auto VI during a hands-off preview. Rob Nelson, head of development, walked through aiming behavior, weapon storage, melee mechanics and movement options and outlined the default settings players can change in the options.

Aiming now defaults to free aim with adjustable aim stickiness rather than automatic lock-on. Enemies do not appear as dots on the minimap by default. A Focus ability slows time, highlights lethal hit zones in red and incapacitation points in yellow, and uses white, yellow and red hit markers to indicate normal hits, incapacitations and kills.

Each playable protagonist can keep two handguns concealed and carry up to two long guns, but only one long gun fits slung on a character’s back. Carrying a second long gun requires holding it in hand. A slung rifle typically passes without notice, while a rifle held in hand causes bystanders to move away and can trigger police warnings and faster escalation if aimed. Any vehicle can temporarily store the long guns a character is carrying; only a character’s personal vehicle will retain the full selected loadout over time.

Firearms show increased recoil, louder impact and stronger audio compared with previous entries. Developers demonstrated using short bursts to manage recoil. Quick weapon swapping returns, kill cams can be disabled, and characters can hand firearms to one another. Visual customizations appear to include engraved, painted and gold finishes.

Hand-to-hand combat gains a held block and a timed parry to allow players to defend and counterattack. Cover remains assigned to the same shoulder button, and crouching permits movement and strafing while aiming. Shoulder switching returns to change the camera side when aiming around cover. Melee encounters produce screen-edge feedback when an enemy is incapacitated.

Sprinting is now mapped to the left stick click (L3) instead of the face button, freeing the right thumb for camera control during runs. Players can set a default movement pace in the options, choosing a normal walk, faster walk or jog. Water dives and aerial entries offer player control over speed, flips and flip direction; jump and dive animations are player-controlled rather than fixed sequences.

Rockstar demonstrated these systems during the preview and indicated many behaviors and default settings can be adjusted in the game’s options.