GTA 6 Icons & Meters Meanings Explained
This guide explains the icons and meters shown in the GTA 6 gameplay trailer and official screenshots, covering the new wanted system, health and stamina meters, and the return of classic HUD elements. You’ll learn what each symbol means, how the new radar works, and what the different status indicators tell you about your character and vehicle.
Background: How GTA 6’s HUD Builds on Past Games
Rockstar Games has always evolved its HUD between titles. In GTA V, the bottom-right corner showed health, armor, and stamina, while the radar in the bottom-left displayed a circular map with a rotating arrow. The GTA 6 trailer, released in December 2023, reveals a fresh take: the radar is now a rounded rectangle, and the health bar has been moved to the bottom-left corner, closer to the map. This layout shift suggests a focus on readability and a more modern, minimal design. The icons themselves—like the weapon wheel and vehicle icons—remain familiar to long-time players, but their placement and behavior have been updated to fit the new interface.
Health and Stamina Meters
The health bar in GTA 6 is shown as a horizontal bar in the bottom-left, just above the radar. It fills with green when you are healthy, and drains red as you take damage. When you are critically injured, the bar flashes and the screen edges turn red. Stamina, which controls sprinting and swimming, appears as a separate bar that only shows when you are exerting yourself. Unlike GTA V, where stamina was a thin bar under health, GTA 6’s stamina meter is integrated into the same area, making it easier to track both at once.
- Health regeneration: In past games, health slowly regenerates up to a certain point, but snacks and armor are needed for full recovery. GTA 6 likely retains this system, though the trailer doesn’t show any new healing items.
- Stamina drain: Sprinting and swimming drain stamina quickly, but it refills when you stop. The rate of drain may depend on your character’s stats, which you can improve through activities like running or cycling.
Wanted Level and Police Icons
The wanted level is shown as a series of stars in the top-right corner of the screen, just like in previous GTA games. Each star represents one level of police attention. One star means local police are looking for you; five stars trigger the military to respond. The trailer shows a new twist: a “wanted meter” that fills up as you commit crimes, giving you a brief window to escape before the police are called. This is a change from the instant star system of GTA V. When you are being chased, a circular icon with a police officer’s silhouette appears on the radar, showing the direction of the nearest cop car. If you lose their line of sight, the icon turns into a “searching” mode with a pulsing circle, indicating that the police are looking for you but don’t know your exact position.
Vehicle Icons and Condition Indicators
When you enter a car, boat, or plane, an icon for that vehicle appears in the bottom-right corner. The icon shows a silhouette of the vehicle type, and it changes color to reflect its condition: green for good, yellow for damaged, red for heavily damaged, and black with smoke for about to explode. The trailer shows a new feature: a tire pressure indicator that appears as a small icon next to the vehicle icon when a tire is flat. This is a subtle detail that could affect handling. Additionally, the speedometer and gear indicator are displayed in the bottom-right when driving, but only in certain camera modes. In the default third-person view, you see a minimal speed bar at the bottom, but switching to first-person or a dashboard camera shows the full instrument cluster.
Radar and Map Icons
The radar in GTA 6 is a rounded rectangle, a departure from the circular radar of GTA V. It shows the immediate area around your character, with icons for points of interest. Key icons you’ll see:
- Player arrow: A white arrow in the center shows your position and facing direction.
- Mission markers: Colored circles with letters (e.g., “S” for story, “R” for race) indicate mission start points. The color matches the mission type: yellow for main story, blue for side activities, and green for random events.
- Store and service icons: A shopping bag for clothing stores, a gun for ammunition, a wrench for mod shops, and a fork and knife for restaurants. These are similar to GTA V but have been redrawn with a more realistic style.
- Enemy indicators: Red arrows or dots appear on the radar when enemies are nearby. In the trailer, you can see a cluster of red dots during a shootout, indicating multiple hostiles.
- Friendlies: Green arrows represent allies or mission companions, and blue arrows represent police or emergency services when they are not hostile.
Weapon Wheel and Ammo Counters
Holding the weapon switch button brings up the weapon wheel, which pauses the game and shows all your weapons in a circular layout. Each weapon has an icon and a small ammo counter in the bottom-right of its slot. The wheel is divided into categories: melee, handguns, submachine guns, rifles, shotguns, heavy weapons, and throwables. In GTA 6, the wheel appears to have a more compact design, with smaller icons and a cleaner font. The ammo counter shows the current magazine size and total reserve, but only for the selected weapon. When you fire, the ammo count decreases in real time, and a small “reloading” icon appears when you press the reload button.
Special Ability and Character Meters
GTA V introduced special abilities for each protagonist: Michael’s bullet-time, Franklin’s driving focus, and Trevor’s rage. GTA 6 is set in a single-protagonist story (Lucia), but the trailer hints at a special ability meter in the bottom-right, shaped like a lightning bolt. This meter fills when you perform stylish actions like drifting, near-misses, or headshots. When full, you can activate the ability, which likely slows down time or increases your damage output. The exact effect is not confirmed, but the meter’s placement and icon suggest a similar mechanic to previous games. The meter drains while active and refills over time, so you’ll need to use it strategically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the eye icon mean on the radar?
The eye icon appears when you are being watched by an enemy or a civilian who might call the police. It’s a stealth indicator: if the eye is open, you’ve been spotted; if it’s half-closed, you’re suspicious; if it’s closed, you’re hidden. This was first introduced in GTA V and returns in GTA 6, helping you avoid unwanted attention during missions.
How do I read the new wanted meter?
The wanted meter is a small bar that appears next to the star count when you commit a crime. It fills up as you cause more chaos. Once it’s full, you get a star. If you stop committing crimes and avoid police, the meter gradually decreases, and eventually, the stars disappear. This gives you a chance to escape before the police are called, unlike the instant stars of GTA V.
Why is my health bar flashing red?
A flashing red health bar means you are critically injured and will die if you take more damage. You should find cover and wait for health to regenerate (if it does) or use a healing item like a snack or first aid kit. In GTA 6, the red flashing is more pronounced, with a pulsing effect, to make it clear you’re in danger.
Can I turn off the HUD icons?
Yes, most GTA games allow you to customize the HUD in the display settings. You can turn off individual elements like the radar, weapon wheel, or vehicle icons. GTA 6 is expected to offer similar options, including a “minimal HUD” mode that only shows essential information like health and wanted level.
What does the car icon with a wrench mean?
That icon appears when your vehicle is damaged and needs repair. You can take it to a mod shop or a mechanic to fix it, or you can continue driving with reduced performance. In GTA 6, the wrench icon may also appear when you have a flat tire, as shown in the trailer, indicating you need to stop and change it or call for a tow.
Are there any new icons not seen in previous GTA games?
Yes, the trailer shows a few new icons: a parachute icon that appears when you jump from a plane, a scuba tank icon when you’re underwater, and a camera icon that indicates when you’re being filmed by a drone or security camera. These are contextual and only appear when relevant, keeping the HUD uncluttered.
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