GTA 6 devs tried ‘a million’ weapon wheel alternatives as struggles with RDR2 realism led some to quit

Rockstar Games reportedly spent years on trying to come up with new weapon wheel for GTA VI, which not only resulted in a development delay but also caused some of the designers to quit. The studio went through many different ideas for interfaces, until they reached the point where they managed to combine realistic and arcade style gameplay. You will see that you cannot take many weapons at once. Moreover, the NPCs will react to your shots in a realistic manner.

Rockstar spent years experimenting with UI concepts before reverting to classic weapon wheel

This represents a major shift from what the series usually offered when it came to inventory management and weapons. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier revealed that the team experimented with trays, webs, etc. instead of the iconic weapon wheel. Apparently, from 2019 to 2022, there was no workable alternative, as reported by the internal documents.

Apparently, this caused some frustration among the employees, and some of the designers left the company. So, in the end, Rockstar returned to an adapted version of the iconic weapon wheel, to keep the gameplay smooth.

The game will feature an honor-like Criminal Profile, which keeps the track of the player's actions and how it affects NPCs interactions. The gunplay features a sort of Dead Eye aiming, in slow motion, to account for new realistic limitations.

The aim is to make the gunfights more impactful, while preserving the identity of the series. Also, there is no infinite ammo trick, which means you need to pay more attention to how you manage resources.

Reality vs. Arcade – the development schedule was largely shaped by this dilemma, with some designers walking away due to disagreements. Rockstar wanted to deliver something coherent and not break the main gameplay loop with experimental interfaces.

The final result is a compromise that favors the familiar elements of the game, but makes them more nuanced. The player will experience a more immersive world with social implications of their actions.

Source: DEXERTO