Heat system and wanted level

The wanted system in GTA VI is no longer automatic: committing a crime only alerts the police if someone spots you, an alarm is triggered or a stolen car’s tracker is activated. Once alerted, the police search the area, and the search can stay active even after you’ve left.

On top of the classic stars runs the Heat meter, which shows exactly what the police know about Jason and Lucia: whether CCTV footage exists, whether their appearance and clothing have been identified, whether the police know what weapons they’re carrying, and whether the getaway vehicle has been flagged. Each clue can be eliminated separately: destroying footage, changing clothes, hiding weapons, switching cars or splitting up from your partner, which in certain situations can remove an entire star.

Stars now use colours with meaning: solid white (direct visual contact), flashing white (you just lost them), hollow (a reported crime with no description of the perpetrator) and red (you escaped, but you’re still inside the active search zone). At the highest level the police search the entire map, and throwing them off can mean a visit to the hairdresser or wearing a mask so cameras can’t describe you. The classic six-star level returns; what exactly happens at six stars is not yet official.