GTA 6 Beginners Guide: Why Early Money and Leonida Keys Matter
Previews indicate that the GTA 6 story starts in the Leonida Keys near Jason's place, and players will need to spend their early money wisely.
Video by Handro. Watch on YouTube.
According to Handro, players will not start the game with a mansion and a supercar on day one. Previews indicate that the story begins in the Leonida Keys near Jason's place, and the rest of the map will only open up after the first missions. Previews note that money is required to push the story forward, meaning the first dollars earned matter more than later earnings, as spending them right can turn a single stolen car into $21,000 instead of $1,500. Handro outlines seven things to put your first money into before leaving the Keys, based on Rockstar's footage and hands-on previews.
1. A spare outfit for your trunk
In GTA 6, police build a file on you, and your clothes are part of it. Previews state that changing your outfit makes it harder for the police to identify you.
- Your car's trunk acts as a mobile locker that can carry spare outfits and extra weapons.
- A second set of clothes in the back of your car serves as cheap insurance.
- In the extended look, Lucia holds up two different outfits and asks Jason which one to wear.
- A cheap shirt and cap cost almost nothing, while a five-star chase costs much more.
2. A haircut
Police remember both your face and your hair, with a dedicated head icon next to the clothes hanger on the wanted HUD.
- Getting a new hairstyle at a salon makes your old physical description useless.
- Leonida is packed with clothing stores and salons.
- You must lose the cops first, as walking into a salon with sirens behind you results in an arrest.
3. A slim gym
Stealing cars involves using a phone app to scan vehicles for locks, alarms, tracks, required tools, and values.
- A slim gym is used to quietly open older cars without the attention brought by smashing a window.
- Rockstar has not specified where a slim gym is acquired or how much it costs.
4. A key cloner
While a slim gym opens older vehicles, modern cars use electronic keys that require key cloning gear.
- This equipment functions through a relay attack, copying the signal from a keyless fob.
- Some expensive cars are initially off-limits until you unlock this tool.
5. Your first trip to the pay and spray
A fresh paint job helps end a police chase, fixes damage, and registers a stolen car as your own. However, Handro notes it may be the worst place to cash in your best car.
- A hands-on demo reported by the Brazilian outlet Flow Games showed one car valued at around $1,500 through a pay and spray, while a specialist car fence offered around $21,000.
- Fences provide lists of exact cars they want and pay significantly more.
- Deliver cars in one piece, as damage during theft or driving reduces the payout.
- Cars with trackers must have them stripped out at a fence before being registered or sold.