New GTA 6 screenshots indirectly confirm return of popular feature not seen for 22 years
Grand Theft Auto isn't necessarily a series that delves deep into role playing, yet fans appear to have spotted the return of bodybuilding as an immersive feature despite it being absent for over 22 years.
Bodybuilding or fitness hasn't been a consideration in any Grand Theft Auto game since GTA: San Andreas in 2004, but new comparison images shared on Reddit appear to show Jason, one of GTA 6's two main characters, at two different levels of fitness.
The post, shared by u/LickitySplit4 on the r/GTA6 subreddit, compares a shirtless, muscular view of Jason from the game's second trailer to a new image of the character on a boat, where has noticeably less definition in his arms.
This, paired with footage of Jason pumping weights in one of the trailers, appears to indirectly confirm the return of weight management features in the upcoming release of GTA 6 — and it's something that many fans will be delighted by.
How will fitness mechanics work in GTA 6?
There's no way of knowing the full extent of a prospective fitness or bodybuilding system in GTA 6 as developer Rockstar Games has been famously tight-lipped over gameplay mechanics, but it's likely that it will operate in a similar way to previous entries.
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Back in San Andreas, for example, you were able to visit gyms in-game in order to grow your muscles, taking part in mini games that saw CJ lift weights, run on the treadmill, and even spar using martial arts.
This also interacted with the ability to eat food in-game, as not only would your muscles decrease if you starved yourself, but you would grow fat by eating too much, impacting your performance and health in-game as a result.
Rockstar reprised parts of this system with the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018, with hidden stats influencing the physical appearance of Arthur Morgan, alongside impacting the character with various buffs and debuffs.
It's likely, then, that similar systems will make their way into GTA 6 for both Jason and Lucia, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the options available to players increase with the new game too.
What other features have been indirectly confirmed?
The return of bodybuilding isn't the only mechanic that has been indirectly confirmed by the Ultimate Edition reveal, as fans have also spotted several other gameplay systems highlighted by Rockstar following the recent announcement.
Some of these are more speculative than others – like the implementation of a chapter-based narrative, or the return of Vice City protagonist Tommy Vercetti – but others are pretty much spelled out by the developer and can be expected to feature in-game.
These include additional character customization options – confirmed by the mention of nail and make up options for Lucia – alongside the introduction of a fishing mini game, and the ability to store weapons in lockers and fence stolen items.
There is also the suggestion of exclusive weapons and vehicles for Jason and Lucia, but these could be more flexible than you might think and similar to character-owned cars in GTA 5.
Listings of the game through various Brazilian retailers also appear to confirm the existence of wild social media features in GTA 6, including the ability to view posts in-game and interact with various influencers.