Police · Spotted Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, August 27 2026
Wanted System
Six wanted stars are back, and the police track what they actually know about you: your face, your clothes, your car, and whether Jason and Lucia are together. Escaping means breaking each of those, not just outrunning a radius.
Rockstar's Extended Look on August 27 2026 confirmed that the wanted meter goes to six stars, restoring the ceiling GTA 5 dropped to five. Police are no longer alerted by the act itself. Per Rockstar's own description, quoted by Vice, law enforcement is only alerted when someone sees the offense or a security system detects it, and the officers who respond are given details about what happened and who may have been involved. That changes the first star from a spawn trigger into an investigation.
What the police know is shown as icons under the stars. GamesRadar's breakdown lists four things they can recognise: your face, your clothing, your vehicle, and the fact that the two leads are together. Each is cleared separately. A haircut clears the physical description, a full outfit swap clears the clothing, a mask hides your face from cameras and officers, and changing cars matters if the getaway vehicle was identified. Jason and Lucia can split up to divide the police response, and one can be arrested while the other keeps running. Escaping does not immediately end the investigation; search zones stay active for a while, and outlined stars show police are still looking without a confirmed sighting.
Intensity scales with the stars. One star is a minor problem. Three and above is described as especially dangerous in Vice City's dense traffic and narrow roads, and six stars is an all-out manhunt with patrol cars, armed officers and helicopters. Police no longer show on the minimap; Push Square reports a Focus mechanic in their place. How cheats, bribes or other wanted-clearing shortcuts work, and whether the six-star response uses military hardware as in older games, is unconfirmed.
What we know
- Maximum wanted level is six stars, up from GTA 5's five
- Police respond only when a witness or a security system reports the crime
- Officers track four things separately: face, clothing, vehicle, and whether Jason and Lucia are together
- Haircuts, outfit swaps, masks and car swaps each clear one thing the police know
- Jason and Lucia can split up during a chase, and one can be arrested while the other escapes
- Outlined stars mean an ongoing search without a confirmed sighting
- Police are not shown on the minimap
Frequently asked
How many wanted stars does GTA 6 have?+
Six. Rockstar's Extended Look on August 27 2026 confirmed the six-star maximum returns, after GTA 5 capped the wanted level at five stars.
How do you lose the police in GTA 6?+
By removing what they know about you. Police track your face, clothes, car, and whether Jason and Lucia are together, each shown as an icon under the stars. Changing clothes, cutting your hair, wearing a mask, swapping cars, and splitting the two leads up all reduce what the search has to go on.
Do the police appear on the minimap in GTA 6?+
No. The Extended Look showed no police on the minimap, and Push Square reports a Focus mechanic in their place. Outlined stars on the wanted meter show when police are still searching without having seen you.