GTA 6 Leak Reveals Six-Star Wanted Level Days Before Netflix Reveal

Fresh leaked gameplay clips from Grand Theft Auto VI have reignited talk of a six-star Wanted system, with footage that began circulating online on August 18 showing police stars stacking well beyond the five-tier cap the series has used since 2013. The clips, which Take-Two moved quickly to strike from social platforms, surfaced just nine days before Rockstar’s officially confirmed Netflix “Extended Look” at the game on August 27.

Multiple outlets that reviewed the footage independently, including Engadget, Dexerto and Kotaku, described the same core sequence: protagonist Jason getting into a road-rage altercation with a delivery driver that escalates into a deadly wrench attack, triggering a police response.

Two Stars Lit, Four Empty Slots Point to a Six-Star Ceiling

After colliding with a delivery truck, Jason and the driver get in a fight, and Jason kills the guy with a wrench, each swing of which depletes an energy bar, earning him a two-star wanted level, according to Engadget’s breakdown of the clip. Kotaku’s separate viewing of the same footage noted that after a few whacks, he receives a two-star wanted level, and four faded, unfilled star icons appear next to the two that are lit up, indicating the six-star wanted level is back after being absent in GTA V.

Dexerto’s read on the same clip lines up: the player picks up a wrench and hits him several times, triggering a two-star wanted level with six stars visible. The last mainline entries, Grand Theft Auto IV and V, both topped out at five stars, so a confirmed sixth tier would mark the first expansion of the classic system in over a decade.

Karma Icon, Fuel Gauge and Vehicle Storage Also Spotted

Beyond the star count, viewers flagged a new HUD element resembling a morality tracker. Engadget reported that a devil icon with a minus sign appears on the right of the screen, as well as on a portrait of Jason that pops up, indicating there’s an honor/karma system, like in the Red Dead Redemption series. Icons beneath the star meter also appeared to track how much evidence police have gathered, with Kotaku noting new icons tied into a new wanted system representing how much information the police have about you, with police seeming aware of Jason’s clothing, car, and general location.

A second clip reportedly showed vehicle-side systems not previously confirmed for the game. VideoCardz described a six-star wanted level alongside vehicle fuel and engine indicators in the lower-left part of the interface, while Engadget separately noted “loadout” and “storage” prompts briefly appear as Jason returns to his vehicle, suggesting that you can change your weapons and store items in your car. Dexerto pegged the storage capacity shown on screen at zero out of four slots.

Take-Two’s DMCA Blitz Lands Days Before the Netflix Extended Look

Insider Gaming reported that the clips were quickly targeted for removal, noting several clips have surfaced on social media, all of which are being hit with DMCA strikes by Take-Two Interactive, which almost always lends credence to the content. The publication added that preview events for GTA 6 are underway, but it’s not clear if the alleged leak footage originates from the event, and given the quality of some of the footage, it’s unlikely.

None of the systems shown have been confirmed by Rockstar, and the footage itself may not reflect the finished build. Rockstar’s own Netflix special, “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look,” is scheduled to premiere on August 27, with the studio expected to address at least some of what has leaked in the days since.

November 19 Launch, NZ$139.95 Price Locked In Regardless of the Leak

Whatever Rockstar confirms or denies about the wanted system, the game’s launch window is already locked in. Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026, following a delay from an original May 2026 target that Rockstar CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety would help deliver what he called “the most extraordinary title anyone’s ever seen in the history of entertainment.”

For New Zealand players, time zones work in their favour: PlayStation’s official regional unlock schedule has Auckland receiving the game first globally, at 6pm local time on November 18, ahead of the simultaneous worldwide unlock. Pricing has already been confirmed at NZ$139.95 for the Standard Edition and NZ$174.95 for the Ultimate Edition, matching the US pricing structure of $79.99 and $99.99 respectively. The game ships as a single-player experience at launch, with no PC release date yet announced.

Given the scale of anticipation around the follow-up to 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V, further leaks are likely between now and the Netflix reveal. Whether the six-star system, karma tracker and fuel mechanics survive into the shipped game remains something only Rockstar can confirm, and the studio has historically stayed silent on leaked content until it chooses to reveal features on its own terms.