Ned Luke, the actor behind Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto 5, strongly denied that GTA 6 resembles its predecessor, calling those claims "out of their minds" yesterday, August 30, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. He emphasized that GTA 6 looks completely different and features advanced technology compared to GTA 5 and GTA 4.
Luke praised the game's improved character animation, especially pointing out the more natural human-like walks. "Watch the way the people move. The walks are actual human walks. We still had a little bit of that mechanical thing going with our walks," he explained [1]. He also noted that character visuals have improved dramatically, adding, "I never looked that good" in previous games [1].
According to Rockstar's August 23 Extended Look release, GTA 6 contains around 600,000 non-player character (NPC) animations, a significant jump from roughly 55,000 in GTA 5, showcasing the leap in technical depth [3]. Luke said, "The technology has grown by leaps and bounds, so what would make you think it's not going to be better than those games?" [2].
Despite mostly positive reactions, some players voiced minor criticisms about certain animations and game mechanics after the Extended Look footage went live. These quibbles are viewed as small given Rockstar’s detail-oriented approach [2]. Pre-orders surged by over 400% following the Extended Look event, reflecting strong marketplace enthusiasm [2].
Luke reiterated the distinctiveness of GTA 6 in his statement in Chinese, saying "《GTA6》看起来一点都不像5。我觉得他们疯了。我跟你说一句，‘我在5里从来没这么帅过。’" (GTA 6 looks nothing like 5. I think they’re crazy. Let me tell you, I never looked this good in 5.) [3].
Rockstar Games’ Extended Look on August 23 highlighted these technical upgrades and animation quality, underpinning Luke’s defense of the new title’s originality and technological strides [1, 2, 3].
