Ned Luke, the actor who brought Grand Theft Auto 5's Michael De Santa to life, has strongly refuted claims that Grand Theft Auto 6 looks too similar to its predecessor, stating that those who hold such opinions are "out of their minds."

Since his prominent role in the 2013 installment, Luke has remained a significant figure within the Grand Theft Auto community. Following the recent extended look at GTA 6, he addressed criticisms suggesting the gameplay, particularly with protagonists Jason and Lucia, appears too much like what was offered in GTA 5. While many believe Rockstar has effectively leveraged the 13 years since GTA 5's release, skepticism has persisted.

Luke, who is not confirmed to be part of the GTA 6 cast, shared his views on the criticisms during collaborations with YouTube channels Partychat and House of Highlights. "This looks nothing like Grand Theft Auto 5," Luke asserted. "I think they're out of their minds."

He also humorously added, "I'll tell you one thing: I never looked that good," referring to an image of the character Jason. For Luke, a key indicator of Rockstar's advancements in GTA 6 is the nuanced movement of its characters. "Watch the way the people move," he urged. "The walks are actual human walks. We still had a little bit of that mechanical thing going with our walks and the way we'd stand. For me, I felt like my legs were never fully straight. They always had this little bend in them."

Luke emphasized the significant technological leap, noting, "The technology has grown by leaps and bounds, you know? What would make you think it's going to be better than those games? It's no diss to those games. It's like between [GTA 5] and GTA 4. Our graphics blew GTA 4 away. They weren't even close."

He further highlighted the detailed visuals in elements like vehicles and explosions shown in the extended look. Addressing comparisons to Red Dead Redemption 2, Luke stated, "Sorry, guys, you're wrong. The graphics here beat Red Dead."

Luke has maintained a connection with Rockstar fans and has been vocal about his opinions, previously praising Lucia's introduction in GTA 6 in 2024 as "Lucia's hard, man," he commented at the time. "In the trailer, she looked good. You get a lot of these clowns out here going, 'Rockstar's going woke, they're caving into the wokeness of the world,'" Luke said. "First of all, there's been other female protagonists in the past, but not in something as huge as this."

Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, 2026. Rockstar has indicated there is more content to be revealed before launch.