Oct 22, 2026

GTA 6 keeps its weapon wheel after years of tests

Updated Nov 1, 2026

Rockstar spent months, maybe years, testing alternatives to GTA 6's weapon wheel before going back to it, aiming for a Red Dead 2 style loadout.

Rockstar Games spent months, if not years, testing replacements for the GTA 6 weapon wheel and ended up keeping it, according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. He says so in a YouTube video from 19 October; the game launches on 19 November.

What did Schreier say about the GTA 6 weapon wheel?

Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier says Rockstar tried replacements for the weapon wheel for "months, if not years"…

Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier says Rockstar tried replacements for the weapon wheel for "months, if not years" and that the final game keeps it. The story comes from his video "Some New Things I Learned About Grand Theft Auto VI And Rockstar", which collects material that did not fit his Bloomberg feature on how the game was made, published on 14 October. Schreier visited Rockstar North in Edinburgh and spent a full day interviewing developers.

According to TechRadar, which reports on the video, the account comes from Rob Nelson, co-studio head and head of development. Rockstar has not published this detail itself.

Fact file

What it is: A development anecdote about the GTA 6 weapon interface
Who says it: Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, who attributes the account to Rob Nelson
Where: Schreier's YouTube video, 19 October 2026
Outcome: The final version uses a weapon wheel again
Official confirmation: Rockstar has not published this detail
Status: According to Schreier; the game launches on 19 November 2026

Why did Rockstar want to drop the weapon wheel?

The studio wanted a system closer to Red Dead Redemption 2 than to GTA V, where you cannot carry unlimited guns.

The studio wanted a system closer to Red Dead Redemption 2 than to GTA V, where you cannot carry unlimited guns. Schreier calls that "a little more realistic". In Red Dead 2 you carry a limited number of weapons and the rest stay on your horse's saddle.

For GTA 6, Mezha reports, the plan was similar: storage tied to the player's car and a restricted selection carried on you. That raised a design worry. According to Schreier, a wheel with blank slots would remind players of what they cannot carry, so maybe it was better to do without one.

The team tried trays, webs and other interface ideas. Schreier says they also tried having no wheel at all. None of it reached the final game.

After all that, they just wound up back at a weapon wheel

Jason Schreier, Bloomberg journalist · Jason Schreier on YouTube

When did this happen, and why does it matter?

Schreier places these tests in what he calls the dark period, from 2019 to 2022.

Schreier places these tests in what he calls the dark period, from 2019 to 2022. The studio was debating how much of Red Dead 2's realism should carry over and how much should stay arcade, as in earlier GTA games. He says that caused tension, and some designers left because they felt the game was not moving forward.

Schreier believes that reworking interface prototypes only to return to the starting point was part of those problems. He adds that things improved when the game began to come together, around the end of 2022 or the start of 2023. The first trailer, from December 2023, became a guide for many on the team.

Timeline

When it was tested and when it was told

2019-2022Period of doubts about realismAccording to Schreier, the team tries alternatives to the weapon wheel and tensions grow
5 Dec 2023First GTA 6 trailerSchreier says it helped the team see what the game would look like
14 Oct 2026Bloomberg featureSchreier publishes his article on how the game was made
19 Oct 2026Schreier's videoHe tells the weapon wheel story among details cut from the feature

Source: Jason Schreier (Bloomberg) and Rockstar Games

What changes for players?

According to Schreier, players will switch weapons with a wheel, as in the series so far.

According to Schreier, players will switch weapons with a wheel, as in the series so far. Polygon notes the wheel is already visible in footage of the game. Anyone coming from GTA V will not have to learn a new menu.

What remains unclear is the weapon limit. Schreier does not say whether the car will store your arsenal in the final game or how many weapons you can carry. The sources only describe the idea that was dropped, not the final system. For what is already known, see what we know about GTA 6 and the GTA 6 beginner's guide, or browse the vehicles shown so far.

What is still unconfirmed about the GTA 6 arsenal?

It is not known whether the final game keeps any carry limit or how weapons are split between the player and the car.

It is not known whether the final game keeps any carry limit or how weapons are split between the player and the car. Rockstar has not described its weapon system, nor confirmed what Schreier relays. The likeliest answer will come from Rockstar's Newswire or from the game itself on 19 November. Dates and prices stay on the release date, price and editions page.

FAQ

Will GTA 6 have a weapon wheel?

Yes, according to Schreier: after testing alternatives, the final game goes back to a weapon wheel. Polygon says it already appears in footage of the game.