Rockstar's Rob Nelson says some GTA VI missions allow multiple routes

Rockstar's Rob Nelson has told IGN that some Grand Theft Auto VI story missions can be completed in more than one way, according to a GameRant report on the interview. The comments add context to gameplay shown in the Netflix Extended Look, which GameRant says aired in August.

The Extended Look featured Jason and Lucia escaping an apartment building and a police chase involving a character named Raul. Both looked tightly scripted. Nelson's explanation suggests they are less fixed than the footage implied.

What we know

Nelson pointed to both sequences as examples. On the apartment escape, he told IGN that "there are multiple routes out of that tower block," meaning players are not limited to the exit seen in the footage.

He described the Raul mission as a two-part sequence:

• It opens on rails, with the player controlling Jason as the shooter while Lucia drives.
• Control then switches and the player takes the wheel.
• The game suggests a best escape route, but the player is not required to use it.

In Nelson's words, "There is an optimal route that you're told to get out, but if you don't follow it, you can still get out." He added that the mission is essentially a police chase.

Nelson also outlined the broader approach. When a mission can lean on systems such as wanted levels or robberies, Rockstar tries to keep it consistent with how those systems behave in the open world. GameRant reads this as an attempt to blur the line between story missions and free roam, rather than treating them as separate modes of play.

According to GameRant, Nelson also said the approach has limits. Some narrative moments still need tighter direction because particular events have to happen for the story to make sense.

What isn't confirmed yet

Nelson discussed only two missions. Neither he nor GameRant says how many GTA VI missions offer this kind of flexibility, or how much freedom players will typically get.

GameRant suggests the open world will be more flexible than GTA V's in some situations and that optional routes could make replays more interesting. Those are the outlet's interpretations, not statements from Rockstar.

It is also not known which systems beyond wanted levels and robberies feed into missions. Rockstar has not said how the game handles players who stray further from a mission's intended path.