Fuel in GTA 6

What was seen at the pump

A journalist who attended the session describes what he saw across two and a half hours of free-roam play. At a gas station, two things are possible: repairing your vehicle, and refuelling it.

Refuelling is not a menu. The character gets out of the car, holds a button, and a short sequence plays. That is the action timed at "about ten seconds" : see the next section on what that figure is worth.

Electric vehicles recharge as well, so fuel is not the only resource involved.

On cost, the source only says it "typically isn't very expensive". No amount is given.

The ten seconds: where the figure comes from

The exact wording is: "from memory it's about 10 seconds-ish".

So it is neither a stopwatch nor a figure from the publisher: it is one person's recollection of watching someone else play, a month before talking about it. He flags it himself by saying "from memory".

Press write-ups kept the number and dropped the caveat. That is the difference between "refuelling takes ten seconds" and "someone remembers it being around ten seconds". The second sentence is true; the first is not, yet.

What the studio says, word for word

Two sentences are attributed to Rob Nelson, head of development, spoken while he was refuelling on screen himself.

Asked whether he really had put fuel in the game, he answers: "We'll see what people say. Do you think people are going to like it?"

Then, once the tank was full: "Hey, that's pretty fast for a fill up. You can't complain about that."

Both sentences say the same thing: the studio knows the mechanic divides people, and it is waiting to see. The word "controversial" that the press uses is not in the source.

What is not said

No price. "Not very expensive" is an impression, not a rate.

Nothing on consumption: nothing says how far a full tank goes, or how fast the gauge drops.

Nothing on running dry. What happens when the tank empties has not been described.

Nothing on which vehicles are affected: we do not know whether every category burns fuel, nor whether both playable characters relate to the mechanic the same way.

The journalist's own reading, to be taken as such: fuel should only be a problem if you are not paying attention : grabbing a random car mid-chase can cost you if its tank is nearly empty. That is his view after watching, not a statement from the studio.

Frequently asked questions

Do you really have to refuel in GTA 6?

Yes. Fuel exists, and so does charging for electric vehicles. It is described by a journalist who watched two and a half hours of free-roam play, and confirmed by the head of development's own words.

How long does refuelling take?

The figure going around is "about ten seconds". It comes from an estimate given as "from memory it's about 10 seconds-ish". No duration has been published by the publisher.

How much does fuel cost?

No amount has been given. The source only says it "typically isn't very expensive".

What happens if the tank runs empty?

That has not been described. Nothing has been published about running dry or its consequences.

Can you repair your car at the gas station too?

Yes, that is one of the two options described at the pump, alongside refuelling.

Does the studio know it divides people?

Yes, and it says so: "We'll see what people say. Do you think people are going to like it?" The word "controversial" comes from the press, not the source.