GTA 6 will extend the perceived duration of its day-night cycle. Rockstar initially carried over the time settings from GTA V, but after testing found the overall pacing too fast, so they readjusted the day-night transitions in modern Vice City.
Rockstar lead Rob Nelson stated that as the game world becomes more detailed, some simplified designs that were acceptable in the past can no longer be used. For example, in GTA V, pedestrians would typically only flee once the player aimed at them, even if they saw the player pull out an automatic shotgun right in front of them; the new title enhances pedestrian reactions to player actions.
Protagonist Jason stares at an NPC for an extended period, eventually provoking their anger. The NPC then approaches and releases their Dog.exe.
The police will also respond more precisely to the player's specific actions, rather than immediately initiating a pursuit in every situation. Before entering a wanted level, players may be able to de-escalate by lowering their weapons, though this tactic won't work on all characters; some armed NPCs may still retaliate.