Weapons and Combat

Overview

Grand Theft Auto VI introduces a more grounded approach to weapons and combat compared to previous entries in the series. The most significant change is a strict limit on what players can carry at any time, replacing the virtually unlimited weapon inventories of GTA IV and GTA V. This system, combined with expanded drive-by mechanics, melee combat, and a return of Phil's Ammu-Nation, creates a combat framework that rewards preparation and loadout planning over raw firepower.

Weapons and combat details come from two primary sources: the official trailers released in December 2023 (Trailer 1) and May 2025 (Trailer 2), along with the authenticated September 2022 developer build leak. Rockstar confirmed the leak was genuine through legal action, though the build was unfinished and some details may have changed in the final game.

Carrying System

Players can carry a maximum of two rifles and two pistols on their person at any time. Additional weapons are stored in vehicle trunks and must be retrieved manually. This is a fundamental departure from GTA V, where players could carry every weapon they owned simultaneously. The new system mirrors the loadout approach used in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The practical effect is that vehicles become more than just transportation. Keeping a car or truck nearby during a job means having access to heavier firepower when things escalate. The character visibly carries a rifle on their back while holding a pistol in hand, matching Red Dead Redemption 2's visual presentation of equipped weapons.

The 2022 developer build also showed a duffel bag slot that can hold extra items, occupying its own inventory position. Separate slots exist for consumables like painkillers, health kits, and body armor. Players can drop unwanted weapons, and dedicated pickup animations play when collecting new ones from the ground.

Confirmed Firearms

The following weapons have been identified from official trailers, Rockstar promotional screenshots, and the September 2022 developer build. Rockstar has not published a complete weapons list. In-game names are working titles from the 2022 build and may differ in the final game.

Pistols

Shotguns

Assault Rifles and Carbines

Submachine Guns

Sniper Rifles

Heavy Weapons

Melee Weapons

The 2022 developer build confirmed several melee weapons. These include a baseball bat (also visible near the Uncle Jack's Liquor robbery scene), a crowbar, a knife, a pool cue, a hammer, a nightstick, a bottle, and a full set of golf clubs (driver, iron, putter, and wedge listed as separate items). Standard unarmed fist combat is also confirmed.

Throwables and Explosives

The 2022 build included grenades, Molotov cocktails, smoke grenades, and flashbangs. The flashbang is new to the mainline GTA series. A "fire bottle" was also listed as a separate incendiary throwable distinct from the Molotov. A speargun was confirmed for underwater combat, with its own dedicated "spear ammo" type.

Weapon Manufacturers

GTA VI continues the series tradition of fictional weapon manufacturers that parody real-world arms companies. The following manufacturers have been confirmed.

Phil's Ammu-Nation

Phil's Ammu-Nation is the confirmed gun store in GTA VI, returning from the 3D Universe era. It appears in Trailer 2 at approximately the 2:09 mark as an in-game commercial. Phil, the proprietor, is a character inspired by Phil Cassidy from GTA: Vice City and GTA: Vice City Stories. The in-game ad shows Phil standing in front of a gun wall stocked with semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, SMGs, and assault rifles.

The commercial's highlight is Phil firing an M249 SAW from the rooftop of his store. His confirmed slogan is "We got more guns than the law allows." The store is located in the state of Leonida and continues GTA's tradition of satirical in-game advertising.

Combat Mechanics

Shooting

An official promotional screenshot shows Jason aiming a Duke Carbine with both eyes open during a nighttime scene in Vice City. This technique, called bilateral shooting, is taught in U.S. military and some law enforcement training programs. It provides better peripheral vision and situational awareness compared to closing one eye. The detail is consistent with Jason's confirmed military background.

The 2022 developer build showed an "underfire animation" system where the character's defensive posture dynamically adapts based on the weapon they are holding. Players can also switch which hand holds the weapon (left or right), a feature new to the series. In leaked footage, the hand-switch was mapped to R3 on the controller.

Cover System

GTA VI uses an updated version of GTA V's button-press cover system. Early 2022 leak footage appeared to show a dynamic cover system, but subsequent reporting from multiple outlets indicated this was revised to a more traditional approach. Blind-fire and leaning around corners are expected to carry over from GTA V.

Movement and Stance

The 2022 build confirmed several combat stances and actions beyond standard movement. Players can crouch and go prone (lying flat is new to the mainline GTA series). A "surrender" action triggers a hands-up animation. The build also showed a self-revive mechanic when downed, along with "buddy comms" and "buddy ping" signals for cooperative situations.

Drive-By Shooting

Drive-by shooting has been significantly expanded compared to GTA V. Passengers can now stand and shoot from outside car windows using any weapon type, not just pistols. Players can also stand in truck beds and fire assault rifles during vehicle combat, a capability that was not possible in previous entries.

Shooting while swimming is confirmed as a new combat capability. In Trailer 2, Lucia fires a Milkor MGL grenade launcher from the back of a moving vehicle, destroying two pursuing police cruisers while the armored Police Riot survives the blast. This scene has been widely analyzed as potential in-game footage of the drive-by system in action, though Rockstar has not confirmed whether the shot represents gameplay or a cinematic sequence.

Melee Combat

Hand-to-hand combat is confirmed through multiple sources. Trailer 2 shows Lucia throwing a high kick at an opponent inside a steel cage, confirming MMA-style cage fighting as a side activity. Lucia's backstory mentions her father taught her to fight from a young age.

The 2022 developer build showed a melee system with distinct "melee attack" and "melee grapple" actions. The leaked diner robbery sequence demonstrated additional close-quarters mechanics: Lucia uses zip ties to restrain a hostage and separately uses a hostage as a human shield. Players can also carry or loot restrained NPCs, expanding on the heist-focused mechanics from GTA V.

Weapon Wheel

The weapon wheel has been redesigned to reflect the new carrying system. Rather than GTA V's single-ring radial menu showing every owned weapon, the new wheel mirrors Red Dead Redemption 2's layout with separate sections for weapons, equipment, and gear. On console, it is mapped to R1/RB. The wheel displays only what the player is currently carrying, not their full arsenal.

Body armor, painkillers, and health kits occupy their own dedicated slots in the equipment section of the radial menu, separate from the weapon slots.

No Dual Wielding

Dual wielding does not appear to be returning in GTA VI. Players use one weapon at a time, consistent with the game's grounded combat design. This was also the case in GTA V, after dual wielding appeared briefly in earlier titles like GTA: San Andreas.

Ammo Types

The 2022 developer build listed the following ammunition categories: pistol ammo, shotgun ammo, heavy ammo (for LMGs and heavy weapons), rockets (for the RPG), and spear ammo (for the speargun). Whether special ammunition variants (armor-piercing, incendiary, hollow point) will be available as in GTA Online has not been confirmed.

NPC Reactions

Walking around with a drawn weapon triggers fear reactions from nearby NPCs, who may flee or call the police. Characters automatically conceal weapons in public, non-combat contexts. This NPC threat-reaction system was visible in the 2022 developer build and represents a more realistic approach to public weapon handling than previous GTA titles.

Comparison to GTA V