A 27-minute trailer for GTA 6 just landed on Netflix

With a detonation of drugs, chaos, killings and hand-holding, Rockstar Games has given its first in-depth look at upcoming blockbuster Grand Theft Auto VI , releasing a 27-minute trailer composed entirely of in-game footage on Netflix. And while some elements are proving divisive, fans have been largely positive on the direction of what is expected to be the largest launch of an entertainment product in history.

Set to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, the game, which has been estimated to have cost about $US2 billion ($2.8 billion) to develop , follows Lucia and Jason, a fugitive criminal couple getting into scrapes across Vice City and its surrounds. The trailer begins with the pair tensely navigating their way into a drug den to pick up for a client, only for a police raid to throw them into a bloody firefight.

The protagonists and their romantic relationship features heavily in the footage, with some hints as to how their love affair will play out. It appears that while in the open world players can choose which character to control, can instantly switch to the other, or use their phones to call them in for back-up, to pull off a robbery or to hang out at the zoo. When they’re together, the player can have them hold hands, or quickly switch between who is driving a vehicle and who is passenger, whether they’re relaxing or shooting a shotgun out a window.

In an interview with IGN , Rockstar North head of development Rob Nelson said the romance was optional, and players had the choice to play the characters as platonic partners. There’s no gameplay benefit to exploring the relationship, though the story will change. The trailer showed other ways of influencing the protagonists’ lives, similar to fan-favourite GTA entry San Andreas , including working out, eating and grooming.

Early looks at the game gave an ambiguous impression of the couple’s relationship, indicating that they could potentially turn against each other early on. But this trailer makes it clear they will be a unit for the large bulk of the game, and that whatever trouble they’re in (it sounds as though they could be working with police, or have some complicated secret agenda), they’re in it together.

On online forums discussing the trailer, fans enthused about the look of the game and seemed excited by the prospect of managing a criminal couple’s relationship. Many expressed disappointment about Jason’s characterisation, however, specifically, his deep voice and monotone delivery. It will be interesting to see how he’s received once players can appreciate his arc through the whole game.

It has been 13 years since Grand Theft Auto V , a massive hit that topped bestseller charts for more than 10 years and made more than $14 billion in revenue, and US culture and politics has changed enormously in that time. So many commentators have wondered whether Rockstar could keep its satire sharp and relevant, or if the company may come off as out of touch given the protracted development cycle.

But the video may indicate that the funny stuff is taking a back seat.