Rockstar Games has confirmed the dismissal of employees responsible for the GTA VI leaks. At the end of last year, 34 people, 31 in the UK and 3 in Canada, lost their jobs due to information disclosure on Discord. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain is demanding the reinstatement of the employees, claiming that they were punished for attempting to unionize. Rockstar categorically denies this, stating that the dismissals are related to leaks about future games. The incident sparked protests at Rockstar North's headquarters in Edinburgh and Take-Two Interactive's office in London.
Fans compared the leaks with information that had appeared online in recent months and concluded that some of the data may have come from the dismissed employees. As a result, a list of specific details has formed around GTA VI.
According to the leaks, the game will offer more than 700 stores, shopping centers, and skyscrapers with working elevators. The story is divided into five chapters, the six-star wanted level will return, and the character development system will take into account weight gain and loss. A relationship scale between Jason and Lucia will appear, and the mini-map will be rectangular with pink landmarks.
The gameplay will be more realistic and strategic: weapons can be carried in limited quantities, with the rest stored in the trunk. Combat will be more brutal, with body dismemberment effects like in Red Dead Redemption 2. Jason will gain the ability to slow down time and highlight enemies' weak points, while Lucia will have a similar but weaker ability. The second trailer will only show the events of the first three chapters, as the fourth and fifth are still in development.
Mechanics include underwater treasures, an NPC interaction system ("greet" and "provoke"), character reactions to weapons, improved vehicle handling, missions involving hunting sharks with a crossbow, Lucia infiltrating a bodybuilder gang, and betrayals within the police.
Vice City will be the largest city in the game, Jason will have a friend named Donnie, and Lucia will have a child at the start who does not affect the plot. The electronic bracelet on her ankle will disappear and will not affect gameplay. The game will also feature male and female strippers, and players will be able to switch between Jason and Lucia during joint activities.