GTA 6 wanted level and police: how it works, per Rockstar

Rockstar North's Rob Nelson explained the new police system in an interview with IGN, during a hands-off demo. Here's what he confirmed, in plain terms.

How you get a wanted level

• A crime only gets reported if someone witnesses it or an alarm is triggered. A crime nobody sees doesn't bring the police.
• In the Extended Look, bystanders called the police when a weapon was drawn in public.
• The wanted level goes up to six stars, one more than GTA V's five. Rockstar hasn't said what the sixth star adds.

The police remember you

• In older games, cops forgot about you the moment you broke line of sight. Rockstar wanted them to have a more persistent memory this time.
• On-screen icons show what the police know about you: your face, your clothes, your car, and whether Jason and Lucia were seen together.
• Nelson says one star isn't hard to shake, but escaping overall can take more thought than in past games.

How to lose the police

1. Get out of sight before things escalate. Nelson's advice: commit the crime, move on before the cops arrive, and don't start shooting.
2. Change your clothes so your description no longer matches.
3. Switch cars, since the police are tracking your vehicle too.
4. Split Jason and Lucia up and run in different directions. Police are looking for a pair.

Criminal Profile is separate

• On top of the stars, there's a Criminal Profile that tracks how violent and reckless your crimes are. Coverage compares it to Red Dead Redemption 2's honor system.
• It isn't a good-or-bad meter. It reflects how you commit crimes.

Stealing cars

• Older cars are easy to take. Some newer parked cars are locked until you unlock tools later in the story, such as the key cloner from the Extended Look.
• A phone app tells you if a car is locked, has an alarm, or has a tracker before you take it.

Not confirmed yet

• What six stars actually adds
• How long the police remember you, and whether it resets
• Whether bribes or other ways to clear a wanted level return

More from the gameplay reveal: https://leonidafieldguide.com/guide/everything-gta-6s-extended-look-showed/

Sources: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-6-wants-losing-your-wanted-level-to-feel-like-a-hit-and-run/ and https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/gta-6-wanted-system-goes-up-to-6-stars-and-lets-police-track-your-face-your-clothes-and-your-car/