GTA 6 ditches 25-year-old iconic control in gameplay redesign

GTA 6 looks to feature one of the biggest requested changes from fans who have been complaining for years, as reports suggest that Rockstar has ditched the sprinting controls for something a little more modern.

It has been nearly 25 years since Rockstar first introduced the infamous tap-to-sprint controls that have caused many-a-thumb to strain, yet it looks like the release of GTA 6 will finally refresh the gameplay system and allow people to instead press L3 like almost every other game out there.

There's plenty to be excited about when it comes to GTA 6 – especially after the recent Extended Look shared more new features than you can count – yet this minor yet impactful change could be the biggest yet for fans of the series.

As reported by Eurogamer, the brilliant news game from Italian YouTuber MikeShowSha, who was one of the few content creators invited directly to Rockstar's offices to preview the game in July.

After translating the video, people quickly discovered MikeShowSha's revelation that L3 is now the default sprint button, surprising people as much as exciting them as many didn't expect Rockstar to make the change despite fan backlash.

Why was the old sprinting system so hated?

Most long-distance travel in the Grand Theft Auto series is completed by car or plane, yet you still spend a lot of time running around — especially if you're in the midst of a police manhunt.

Rockstar has remained committed to tap-to-sprint controls for nearly 25 years, yet that all changes with GTA 6 (Rockstar Games)

It's not hard to imagine why needing to repeatedly tap the same button to spring could get annoying then, as not only did it make using other controls difficult, the tedium of button spamming also put strain on your fingers.

With the latest game in the series expected to have a main story extending beyond the 80 hour mark, having to spam buttons to sprint would have been incredibly frustrating for many players, making the shift towards the 'industry standard' control scheme a blessing.

How have people reacted to the news?

Large sections of the GTA fanbase have celebrated the change in sprinting controls, calling it a 'way better' system compared to what was featured in previous games, yet some have come out of the woodwork to express their disappointment and opposition.

"Call me a black sheep but I always thought tapping X or A was a cool trademark for GTA/Red Dead games that forced you to put effort into your sprinting," wrote one defiant commenter on the r/GTA subreddit.

"Sometimes when I click the left stick in, it makes it harder to run in a straight line," they added.

Some have mourned the loss of a 'trademark' for Rockstar, and that also reduces options for the player (Rockstar Games)

It certainly did make sense considering Rockstar's commitment to realism, as what could be better than causing fatigue for players alongside the in-game character?

Another pointed out that the old system gave you three different traversal speeds, with the option for your character to walk, jog, or sprint depending on the way that the button was pressed.

There's no confirmation that this control scheme has been removed entirely – and there could be the option to switch between the two in the game's settings – but it seems like Rockstar is going with L3 as the default.

One user even expressed their worry about how this could increase cases of stick drift in PlayStation controllers, writing:

"If Sony didn't use those cheap sticks I'd say it's a good thing, but unfortunately they are and therefore the risk of stick drift becomes much higher. I hope you can change the control to the old sprint method."