GTA 6’s answer to Red Dead Redemption 2’s honor system is the Criminal Profile. It tracks how Jason and Lucia commit their crimes, on a scale that Edge magazine describes as running from “Professional” to “Irredeemable”, shown with angel and devil icons. Rockstar says the profile will influence how the couple’s story unfolds. Doing what a job requires doesn’t hurt it. Going further than you need to, again and again, does.
Everything here comes from three previews Rockstar allowed: IGN’s in late August, YouTuber TGG’s soon after and Edge’s cover feature on October 29. Each line says which one reported it. Leaked footage is left out. PC Gamer’s October 30 story about the “Professional to Irredeemable” scale combines the Edge feature with Rob Nelson’s earlier comments to IGN; it doesn’t add a new Rockstar interview. Our GTA 6 features list covers every other system from those previews, including the police heat system and the relationship scale.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: the GTA 6 Criminal Profile
- What it is: a meter that tracks what kind of criminal Jason and Lucia are, not whether they’re good people. Rockstar North’s Rob Nelson told IGN it’s different from RDR2’s honor system.
- The scale: “Professional” to “Irredeemable”, with angel and devil icons (Edge). TGG names four states, Professional, Aggressive, Violent and Psycho, plus a “shattered” state beyond them.
- What pushes it down: shooting first, starting fights and escalating beyond what a situation needs, consistently.
- What keeps you Professional: knocking enemies out instead of killing them, trying threats first, and small kind acts such as putting litter in a bin or treating animals well.
- Story effect: “Rockstar says that your Criminal Profile will influence how Jason and Lucia’s story unfolds” (Edge). Exactly how, such as different endings, hasn’t been revealed.
- Per character: Jason and Lucia each have their own profile, and you can turn its notifications off (TGG).
Does GTA 6 have an honor system like RDR2?
Sort of. The idea comes from Red Dead Redemption 2, but Rockstar has changed it. In IGN’s August 27 preview, Nelson, Rockstar North’s co-studio head and head of development, described a system that judges patterns, not single acts:
“If you hit and run, commit a crime and run, get into trouble and move on before the cops get there, and you don’t start shooting people, don’t start escalating – which you absolutely can do if you want to – but if you don’t, you’re generally going to be fine. It’s when you go beyond what is necessary on a consistent basis, or you do completely unnecessary stuff consistently, that you may start to sway your criminal profile in a certain direction.”
Arthur Morgan’s honor measured whether he was a decent man. Jason and Lucia are always thieves, so the Criminal Profile measures how they do the job. Edge puts it bluntly: “You can choose what kind of criminal you are, but not whether you are one.” Nelson also told IGN that “there isn’t a right or wrong way to play this game”, but that consistent actions “may have an impact in terms of how the world reacts to you and how the narrative plays out”, according to PC Gamer’s report on the preview.
Lucia Caminos. TGG reports that she and Jason each have their own Criminal Profile. Image: Rockstar Games
GTA 6 Criminal Profile levels
Rockstar hasn’t published a list of levels. Two previews describe the scale, and they use different words for its far end:
| State | What reportedly puts you there | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Professional (angel icon) | “Restraint and control”; “not killing or injuring anyone unless you have to” | TGG; Edge names the scale’s ends |
| Aggressive | Not described in detail yet | TGG (name only) |
| Violent | Shooting first and asking questions later builds “a violent profile” | TGG (name); Edge (wording) |
| Psycho | The most extreme named state | TGG |
| Shattered | The meter cracks and can’t be changed again | TGG, as reported by PC Gamer |
| “Irredeemable” (devil icon) | Edge’s name for the far end of the scale | Edge 430 |
The four state names and the shattered state come from TGG’s preview video, summed up by PC Gamer on September 7. Edge’s later feature only names the two ends. It isn’t clear whether “Irredeemable” is the same as TGG’s “Psycho”, the shattered state, or just Edge’s label for the bad end, so we haven’t merged them.
What raises or lowers your Criminal Profile
Context matters more than any single act. According to Inven Global’s summary of IGN’s full interview transcript (published October 7), doing what a mission demands, or dealing with someone who picks a fight with you, won’t count against you.
| Action | Reported effect | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Doing what a mission requires | Doesn’t count against you | Nelson to IGN |
| Defending yourself when someone starts a fight | Doesn’t count against you | Nelson to IGN |
| A crime, then leaving before the police arrive, without escalating | “Generally going to be fine” | Nelson to IGN |
| Being the aggressor, or escalating past any reasonable point | Pushes the profile toward the violent end; NPCs remember it | PC Gamer on the IGN preview |
| Shooting first and asking questions later | Builds “a violent profile” | Edge |
| Knocking an enemy out instead of killing them | The “calculating criminal” approach | Edge |
| Threats and intimidation before violence | The “calculating criminal” approach | Edge |
| Putting litter in a bin, being kind to or feeding animals | Counts in your favour | IGN preview, via PC Gamer and Dexerto |
The small good deeds are the closest thing to RDR2’s honor grinding. Dexerto lists “putting garbage in a trash can or feeding stray animals” as everyday acts that can affect the profile. It also notes that petting or scolding animals “appears to” count, which isn’t confirmed. PC Gamer points out that Jason and Lucia can’t game the system the way Arthur could, with a crime spree followed by a few good deeds. How much one kind act weighs against one murder hasn’t been shown.
What is the shattered Criminal Profile?
TGG, who visited Rockstar North for his preview, reports a fifth state past the four named ones: the meter cracks, then breaks, and can’t be changed after that. PC Gamer says TGG got the impression it’s meant for players who clearly don’t want to engage with the system. tbreak adds that Rockstar reportedly told TGG this state is hard to reach and that, once it shatters, the game stops tracking your behaviour for that playthrough. Rockstar hasn’t described it in its own materials, so treat the details as reported.
The design fits what Nelson told TGG about the whole game: “I think it allows you to sort of roleplay as heavily or as lightly as you want to.” He added: “You can still cause as much carnage as you can imagine. How does that make you feel if it has an impact on certain things? … It’s up to you and what matters to you.”
Raul Bautista, whom Rockstar calls a seasoned bank robber whose recklessness raises the stakes with every score. Image: Rockstar Games
Does the Criminal Profile change the story or ending?
It changes something, but Rockstar hasn’t said what. The firmest line is from Edge’s GTA VI cover feature: “These choices are not merely cosmetic, either. Rockstar says that your Criminal Profile will influence how Jason and Lucia’s story unfolds.” Nelson’s comments to IGN cover both the world and the plot: actions “may have an impact in terms of how the world reacts to you and how the narrative plays out”.
No preview has said whether that means different endings, different missions or different NPC reactions. PC Gamer noted that neither IGN nor TGG came away with specifics. The relationship between Jason and Lucia is a separate system. Nelson told IGN that “whether you’ve nurtured the relationship or not will definitely have a bearing on how their story plays out”, and Edge measures it on a four-point scale. Both are in our GTA 6 features rundown.
Criminal Profile vs wanted level and heat
The Criminal Profile is not your wanted level. Police still chase you, and GTA 6 keeps a wanted level alongside the profile. The police side has its own new rules. According to Nelson in IGN’s interview, a crime only gets reported if someone sees it or an alarm goes off. Edge describes a “heat” system that records your clothes, your partner, CCTV footage and your weapon, so changing outfits or splitting up helps you escape. The profile is the long-term record. Heat and the wanted level are what the police know right now. Edge’s other findings on NPC behaviour are in our GTA 6 map size and NPCs report.
Where each Criminal Profile detail comes from
| Date (2026) | Source | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| August 27 | IGN preview (Rob Nelson interview), reported by Complex, GamingBolt, PC Gamer and Dexerto | The name, the “beyond what is necessary” rule, small kind acts, “not like RDR2’s honor” |
| By September 2 | TGG preview video (reported by tbreak on September 2 and PC Gamer on September 7) | Four states, the shattered state, separate profiles for Jason and Lucia, notifications toggle |
| October 7 | IGN’s full interview transcript (Inven Global summary) | Mission actions and self-defence don’t count; separate from the relationship system |
| October 29 | Edge 430 cover feature by Simon Parkin (free on GamesRadar+) | “Professional” to “Irredeemable”, angel and devil icons, Rockstar’s story line |
| October 30 | PC Gamer | Roundup of Edge plus the IGN quotes; no new interview |
GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Our GTA 6 release time and pre-load guide has the unlock hour for each region, and the GTA 6 characters list covers Jason, Lucia and the supporting cast. We’ll update this page with the real level names and effects once the game is out.
FAQ
Will GTA 6 have an honor system?
Yes, in a new form called the Criminal Profile. It tracks how violently Jason and Lucia commit crimes instead of whether they’re honorable, and Rockstar says it influences the story.
What are the GTA 6 Criminal Profile levels?
TGG’s preview names Professional, Aggressive, Violent and Psycho, plus a shattered state. Edge describes the scale as “Professional” to “Irredeemable”. Rockstar hasn’t published the list itself.
Can you fix a bad Criminal Profile in GTA 6?
Reportedly yes, up to a point. Small kind acts such as binning litter or treating animals well count in your favour, according to IGN’s preview. If the profile shatters, TGG reports it can’t be changed again.
Do Jason and Lucia share a Criminal Profile?
No. TGG reports that each has a separate profile, so you can play them differently.
Can you turn off the Criminal Profile?
You can turn off its notifications, according to TGG. No preview says the system itself can be switched off.
Sources: Edge / GamesRadar+, “Grand Theft Auto VI exclusive – The state that never sleeps” (Simon Parkin, October 29, 2026); IGN preview and interview with Rob Nelson (August 27, 2026), as reported by Complex, GamingBolt, PC Gamer and Dexerto; IGN’s full transcript via Inven Global (October 7); TGG on YouTube via PC Gamer (September 7) and tbreak; PC Gamer (October 30). Checked October 31, 2026.
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