GTA 6’s Heat system tracks what the police know about Jason and Lucia after a crime: what they look like, what they’re wearing, what they’re driving and whether they’re together. It runs alongside the returning six-star wanted level, and each piece of evidence can be cleared on its own, by changing clothes, swapping cars or splitting up.
Below we cover how the police find out about a crime, what the wanted stars mean, every way to clear Heat that Rockstar has shown, and which popular claims about the system are still unconfirmed. Everything here comes from Rockstar’s Extended Look of August 27, 2026, on-record interviews with Rockstar staff, an October 29 cover-story preview, and reports from the July previews. Grand Theft Auto VI is not out until November 19, 2026, so details can still change.
How the Police Find Out About a Crime
A crime has to be seen before the police react. “The Wanted system in GTA 6 requires that someone witness the crime, or an alarm needs to be set off,” Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told IGN. Preview reports add that a stolen car’s tracker can report you automatically, which our guide to stealing cars in GTA 6 explains.
Once a crime is reported, Heat kicks in. Preview reports describe cops gathering information from reported incidents based on players’ appearance and whereabouts at crime scenes, and Nelson has said the police now have a “more persistent memory” than in past games.
What the Heat Icons Mean
In the Extended Look footage, Heat shows up as a set of icons. The ones Rockstar showed cover:
- Clothes: the police have a description of your outfit.
- Face: they know what you look like.
- Car: they know your vehicle. Nelson put it plainly: “the police know what we’re driving.”
- Together: they know Jason and Lucia are a pair. “They also know we’re a couple,” Nelson said.
Creators who attended the previews also describe icons for CCTV footage and for weapons, and one preview of a 90-minute demo Rob Nelson played at Rockstar North lists both among the details the icons track: whether a camera caught you and what weapon you had. Rockstar hasn’t shown those two in its own footage yet.
The key change from GTA 5, according to preview reports, is that these icons can stick around after the stars clear. Losing a chase doesn’t wipe your description; you have to deal with each icon.
How to Clear Heat
Each piece of evidence has its own fix. Here’s what Rockstar and the previews have shown:
| Evidence | How to clear it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes | Change your outfit at a clothing store | Previews, Extended Look |
| Face and hair | Get a new hairstyle at a salon or barber | Preview reports |
| Car | Ditch the getaway car or swap to a new one | Extended Look, previews |
| Together | Split Jason and Lucia up | Rob Nelson, previews |
| CCTV | Destroy the camera footage | Preview reports |
| Weapons | Drop the weapon you were seen with, or put it away | Preview reports |
A few details make this work better:
- Swapping cars works. In the Extended Look, switching vehicles removes the car icon, and a patrol car drives straight past the new ride.
- A full outfit change matters. Preview write-ups say a hat or sunglasses alone isn’t enough.
- Masks hide your face. Reports from the previews describe a mask ditched during the getaway hiding your face, including from cameras, and keeping a spare outfit in your car’s trunk.
- Pay ‘n’ Spray is back. Preview reports say it clears vehicle Heat, as it did for wanted levels in older games.
- Splitting up has a cost. Nelson said it “will also help lower the police’s perception of you,” but you’re then running two escapes. If either character is arrested, you get the “Busted” screen even if the other got away, per preview reports.
What the Wanted Stars Mean
Six-star wanted levels return, and the six-star meter appears in the Extended Look footage. Preview reports describe four star states:
- Solid white: the police can see you.
- Flashing white: you’ve broken line of sight.
- Hollow: a crime has been reported, but the police have no description. In the Extended Look, Lucia rides straight past officers with hollow stars.
- Red: you’ve escaped, but you’re still inside the search area.
Police don’t appear on your radar by default, according to preview reports. Focus is how you spot them: in an interview with IGN, Nelson compares it to Red Dead Redemption 2’s Eagle Eye and says you can use it “to help you locate things that you want to find on the map,” adding, “and certainly cops.” His advice on escaping: “One star is not going to be too difficult to get away from,” while at three stars in the city, “get on foot into the alleys.”
The police bring more than squad cars. In one preview’s account of the demo, officers coordinated over the radio and put a stinger strip down ahead of Nelson’s stolen motorcycle. He didn’t see it in the dark, the front tire burst, and both riders were thrown. A K9 unit joined in moments later, and its dog caught Jason and pinned him almost immediately. Keep an eye on the road ahead during a night chase.
If you want to compare with the last game, our guides to losing a wanted level in GTA 5 and clearing a bounty in Red Dead Redemption 2 cover the systems GTA 6 builds on.
How Robberies Change the Police Response
Robberies are where Heat matters most. Preview reports say you can rob places alone or as a duo, loud and fast or quiet and thorough, and that how far you escalate determines if and how the police respond. Nelson said the same: if you don’t start escalating, “you’re generally going to be fine.”
Preview reports add that a robbed store becomes an active police zone for a while, that police can set up a perimeter if you linger, and that stores have secondary exits. Robbing as a duo also builds Jason and Lucia’s bond, which our guide to Jason and Lucia’s relationship covers.
What Isn’t Confirmed Yet
A few claims circulate widely but trace back to a single source or none:
- Map-wide searches at six stars. One creator reported it from the preview. Rockstar hasn’t said it.
- The military at six stars. We found no source for this at all.
- Splitting up removes a whole star. Nelson only said it lowers the police’s perception of you.
- How long Heat lasts if you do nothing. Rockstar hasn’t said.
Every other GTA 6 guide is on our GTA hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Heat system in GTA 6? It tracks what the police know about you after a reported crime: your clothes, face, car and whether Jason and Lucia are together. Each piece shows as an icon and can be cleared separately.
How many wanted stars does GTA 6 have? Six. The Extended Look shows the six-star meter.
How do you lose Heat in GTA 6? Change your outfit, change your hairstyle, swap or ditch your car, and split Jason and Lucia up. Preview reports add destroying CCTV footage, hiding your weapons and using Pay ‘n’ Spray on your car, and one preview reports that dropping the weapon you were seen with clears that detail.
Do the police always know when you commit a crime? No. Rob Nelson said someone has to witness the crime or an alarm has to go off. A stolen car’s tracker can also report you, according to preview reports.
What happens if only one character gets arrested? You still get the “Busted” screen, even if the other character escaped, according to preview reports.