GTA 6’s wanted level goes up to six stars, and the police chase what they know about you, not just where you are. A crime only counts if someone sees it or an alarm goes off. Icons under the stars show what the police know (your face, clothes, car, weapon, whether you had a partner and whether a camera caught you), and you lose each one by changing it. Police don’t show on the radar any more; Focus reveals them.
Everything below comes from Rockstar North’s interviews and Edge’s hands-on preview. We’ll test it all in the game from November 19 and update this page.
How you get a wanted level
Confirmed Someone has to witness the crime, or an alarm has to go off, before it is reported to the police. Rob Nelson, co-head of Rockstar North, explained this to IGN, as GamesRadar reported.
Edge’s preview (free on GamesRadar) adds how people react before the police arrive:
- How you carry a gun matters. A shotgun slung on your back draws less notice than one in your hands. Crowds back away or scatter, and some people may challenge you.
- There’s some leeway. Not every small offence sets off a chase. You can drop the weapon, and the game gives some room before your behaviour becomes a wanted level.
- Stolen cars can give you away. Owners may report a car you take, and a newer, expensive car may have a tracker that keeps sending its position.
Six stars
Observed An Extended Look, Rockstar’s gameplay video, shows a wanted meter with six stars. GTA 5 stopped at five, as TechRadar and GamesRadar pointed out.
Nelson gave two rules of thumb in the IGN interview:
- One star is not too hard to escape.
- Three stars in the city makes a getaway by car difficult unless you have a very fast car or a sports bike. His advice: get off the streets and into the alleys on foot.
Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said what each star level sends after you.
Star colours
The stars change look depending on the situation. In the gameplay video, four white stars turned red once Jason and Lucia broke contact with the police; GamesRadar took that to mean the police were still hunting them but no longer had them in sight.
GamesRadar’s wanted level guide goes further, from the video and previews. Its reading, which Rockstar hasn’t confirmed:
| Stars | GamesRadar’s reading |
|---|---|
| Black and white | Police are investigating but don’t know who you are |
| Grey | Police know something about you and are searching |
| White | Police are chasing you and can see you |
| Red | You’ve escaped, but police still have details on you |
The heat icons: what the police know
This is the biggest change. Edge calls it a “heat” system: icons at the top of the screen show the police report you’re running from. Each detail can be removed.
| Heat icon | How to lose it |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Change cars. In the gameplay video, a police car drove straight past Jason and Lucia in their new one |
| Clothing | Change your outfit so you no longer match the description |
| Accomplice | Split up, if witnesses saw two people |
| Weapon | Drop or put away the gun they saw |
| Face (Edge: physical description) | Not announced how to clear it; GamesRadar suggests a mask to stop it in the first place |
| Security camera (CCTV) | GamesRadar suggests avoiding or taking out cameras before the crime |
Edge lists the description, partner, clothes, CCTV and weapon. GamesRadar counted six icons in the footage, adding the vehicle. In the gameplay video, GamesRadar says, the vehicle icon vanished the moment Lucia stepped out of the car.
Splitting up has a catch
Splitting Jason and Lucia removes the accomplice detail. GamesRadar’s guide adds, from the footage, that if either of them is caught while you’re split up, you’re still busted. You can’t leave one behind to save the other. Our Jason and Lucia guide covers the couple.
Police remember you
“We wanted them to have a bit more persistent memory,” Nelson said in a video by the creator TGG, as GamesRadar reported. In earlier games you could lose the police and they forgot you straight away. In GTA 6, according to TGG, police who know your clothes or car can still spot you later, even after the stars have gone, if you haven’t changed them.
No police on the radar
Police don’t appear on the minimap. “They show up when you use Focus,” Nelson said in the TGG video. TGG adds that Focus lets you see officers through walls. GamesRadar’s guide also noticed that at higher wanted levels the minimap seems to fill with red and blue flashing lights, so you have to watch the streets yourself.
Nelson’s take: “It can be harder, but it’s fun, depending on the wanted level.”
What the police use
From Edge’s preview:
- Roadblocks ahead. Officers radio ahead and lay stinger strips, hard to see at night. In the demo, one burst the front tyre of Jason’s motorcycle and threw him and Lucia off.
- Police dogs. A K9 unit joined the chase, and the dog caught Jason and pinned him down.
- Helicopters. Edge describes trying to stay out of a helicopter searchlight’s beam.
The gameplay video also shows Jason shooting out the tyres of chasing police cars, which can flip them (TechRadar).
GTA 5 vs GTA 6
| GTA 5 | GTA 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest wanted level | Five stars | Six stars |
| Police on the radar | Yes, with vision cones you could dodge | No, Focus reveals them |
| After you escape | Police forgot you quickly, Nelson says | Police keep the details they have |
| How you escape | Hide until the stars fade | Change what they know: car, clothes, partner, weapon |
Edge sums it up: in earlier GTAs you could feel almost godlike, and GTA 6 deliberately makes crime feel risky.
How to stay ahead of the police
Analysis Our advice from the previews, until we’ve played it:
- Plan before a robbery. Park a getaway car of your own nearby, so you aren’t stealing one with a tracker or an armed owner.
- Check for cameras and avoid them where you can.
- Carry guns on your back when walking around, not in your hands.
- Escape on foot in the city at three stars or more, through alleys, as Nelson suggests.
- Then clear the icons. Swap cars, change clothes, drop the gun and split up if the police know there are two of you.
- Use Focus to see where officers are, since the radar won’t help.
- Slow down at night on fast roads, where stinger strips are hard to see.
For a full walkthrough of Edge’s preview, including car theft and the Criminal Profile, see the Edge preview explained.
What we don’t know yet
Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said:
- What each of the six star levels sends after you
- What getting busted or wasted costs you
- Whether you can bribe the police or hide your wanted level some other way
- How long the police remember details once you’re out of sight
- Whether some parts of the map have a different police force
Common questions
Are there cheats to remove your wanted level in GTA 6?
Not announced No GTA 6 cheats have been confirmed. We only add a code once it’s confirmed by two reputable sources or tested in the game. See GTA 6 cheats.
Does switching between Jason and Lucia lose the police?
Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said that switching alone does. Splitting up removes the accomplice icon, according to Edge. Our Jason and Lucia guide explains who they are.
Is GTA 6 harder than GTA 5?
Rockstar North’s Rob Nelson says the police can be harder to shake off than before, and Edge says GTA 6 deliberately makes crime feel risky where earlier games could feel almost godlike. Our beginner tips help with the first few hours.
Related pages
GTA 6 confirmed features
GTA 6 vs GTA 5: every confirmed difference
An Extended Look breakdown
GTA 6 weapons
Sources
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