Rockstar wants to tie the economy more closely to gameplay and story progression in GTA VI. According to new information from a presentation of the game to TGG, the main storyline may even come to a halt at certain points until Jason and Lucia obtain the required amount of money.
Instead of assigning players one mandatory mission, however, the game is expected to send them back into the open world and let them decide how to acquire the money they need. Robberies, selling stolen goods and other criminal activities are therefore not meant to be merely optional diversions separate from the story.
New details about the economy and robberies include:
- The story may come to a halt at certain points until Jason and Lucia obtain the required amount of money. Rockstar wants to use this to encourage players to venture into the open world and choose for themselves how to earn the money.
- Large, planned heists will also return to the game, although it is not yet clear whether they will also be freely available in the open world or remain tied to story missions.
- Free-roam robberies will have multiple tiers, ranging from small stores and jewelry stores to banks and criminal compounds.
- Small stores, gas stations or short-term loan offices can also be robbed without appearing as a special activity on the map.
- Larger robberies may appear on the map along with an estimate of the potential payout.
- Players may discover new targets through story characters, services for NPCs, tips or simply by exploring the world.
- Gang and criminal compounds will also be scattered across the map, and may contain drugs or cash.
- Robberies can be carried out alone or together with Jason and Lucia.
- Practically any store can be targeted for a robbery, even if it is not marked as a robbery activity.
- Some stores will have safes in their back rooms, and players will need to obtain the combination to open them.
- Safe combinations can be found at the location itself, obtained from other characters or sent to the player by a fence.
- During robberies, players will need to deal with security cameras, and some businesses will have back exits suitable for escaping.
- Store clerks, civilians or security guards may try to stop the player if given the opportunity.
- The course of a robbery may therefore vary depending on the specific location and NPC behavior.
- Armored vans, similar to those in GTA V, will also provide smaller opportunities to earn money.
- Stolen goods will not automatically be converted into money after a robbery. They will need to be taken to the right fence.
- The game is expected to have separate fences for different types of loot, such as vehicles, jewelry or drugs.
- Fences will unlock gradually, so at the beginning of the game, the player may not have anyone to sell certain more valuable items to.
- Stolen vehicles can be registered as the player's own for a fee. For more expensive cars, this option will only unlock later.
- Players will be able to buy garages that increase the number of vehicles they can own.
- Money can also be spent on clothing, hairstyles, makeup, headphones and vehicle modifications.
- Additional houses or safehouses will not be available for regular purchase, as Jason and Lucia are on the run during the story.
- Rockstar has not yet confirmed whether players will be able to buy their own businesses.
The developers also admitted that GTA V's economy had a problem toward the end of the game, when players acquired huge amounts of money but practically had nothing left to spend it on. In GTA VI, they are therefore trying to design the economy so that money remains important throughout a larger portion of the game.
Rockstar has not yet shown all the ways in which larger sums of money can be spent. According to TGG, some of them are being kept secret, probably because they are directly tied to the story.
