GTA VI / Behaviour system

GTA 6 Criminal Profile explained

Criminal Profile appears to track how Jason and Lucia commit crimes and how consistently they use restraint, aggression or extreme violence. Here is what current preview coverage supports—and what it still does not answer.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

What Criminal Profile tracks

Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told previewers that there is no single right or wrong way to play. Consistent actions may affect how the world responds to the protagonists and how parts of the narrative unfold. Preview coverage places Criminal Profile alongside the traditional wanted level rather than replacing it.

That distinction matters: wanted level measures immediate police attention, while Criminal Profile appears to remember the pattern behind the player’s choices. A controlled robbery and a chaotic one could therefore leave different longer-term impressions even when both begin with the same crime.

REPORTED STATES

The four main profiles

Names and descriptions come from invited-preview reporting.

01

Professional

Reportedly rewards restraint, control and completing a crime without unnecessary harm.

02

Aggressive

Appears to reflect forceful play that escalates situations without reaching the most extreme behaviour.

03

Violent

Reported as a profile for repeated or avoidable violence during crimes and free roam.

04

Psycho

The most extreme of the four main states described in current preview reporting.

THE FIFTH STATE

What “Shattered” could mean

TGG’s invited preview, summarized by PC Gamer, describes a fifth state in which the meter cracks and cannot be changed. The reported design intent is to stop forcing players who prefer unrestricted chaos to repair a reputation system they do not want to engage with.

The trigger threshold, permanence, world reactions and story consequences have not been published. Treat claims about endings, mission lockouts or permanent penalties as theory.

PLAYER IMPACT

What could change in practice

World reactions

Residents may remember escalation, respond to provocation and react differently to a protagonist’s established behaviour.

Mission and story texture

Nelson’s wording points to narrative consequences, although no alternate mission, ending or reward has been established.

Separate protagonist histories

Reported separate profiles could let players shape Jason and Lucia differently and make character switching strategically meaningful.

Planning robberies

Restraint, witnesses, cameras and avoidable violence may matter beyond the immediate wanted response.

QUICK ANSWERS

Criminal Profile FAQ

Is Criminal Profile the same as Red Dead Redemption 2 Honor?

Current preview coverage says no. It is described as a record of how Jason and Lucia operate rather than a simple good-versus-bad meter.

Can Jason and Lucia have different profiles?

PC Gamer reports that the two protagonists can develop separate Criminal Profiles. Rockstar has not yet published a complete system guide.

What is the Shattered profile?

TGG’s preview, relayed by PC Gamer, describes Shattered as a difficult-to-reach state that cannot be changed afterward. Its exact triggers and consequences remain unclear.

Does Criminal Profile change the ending?

No source currently establishes that. Rockstar developer Rob Nelson said consistent actions may affect how the world reacts and how the narrative plays out, but the scale of those effects is still unknown.

SOURCE TRAIL

Where the details come from

IGN: GTA 6 exclusive preview and Rob Nelson interview ↗PC Gamer: Rob Nelson’s Criminal Profile explanation ↗PC Gamer: reported profile states and Shattered state ↗Rockstar Games: GTA VI Extended Look ↗

Reviewed 13 September 2026. Rockstar has not published a complete Criminal Profile specification.