Jason and Lucia's relationship in GTA 6: how it works, and can they get married?

Grand Theft Auto VI is built around a couple. Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos are partners in crime, and, if you want them to be, partners in love. GTA 6 tracks how close they are and lets that change their story, but Rockstar North says it won't force the romance on anyone. Here's how their relationship works, from what Rockstar's developers have told Edge and IGN.

The short answer

• It's optional. You can build the relationship or leave it alone.
• It's measured. Their closeness sits on a four-point scale, Edge reports.
• Time together raises it: walks, bike rides, the gym, games of pool, drives.
• It changes the story. How close they are affects how their story plays out.
• They can't split for good. They stay partners in crime whatever you do.
• Marriage is unconfirmed. Rockstar won't say whether they can marry.

A four-point closeness scale

GTA 6 measures how close Jason and Lucia are on a four-point scale, which usually goes up the more time you spend together, Edge reports from a 90-minute demo by Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North. Nelson told Edge that the two start the game wanting to be together and to give their relationship another shot. "But, as the game progresses," he said, "it's yours to keep or yours to lose."

What brings them closer

Everyday things count. Edge lists:

• walks on the beach
• cycling
• working out at the gym, once they've bought a membership
• driving around together, one at the wheel and the other scrolling on a phone

Nelson told IGN about more:

• playing pool and mini golf, and kayaking
• robbing stores or banks as a pair
• holding hands, which was R2 in IGN's demo
• holding doors open for each other

You can text or call the other character at any time, and ignoring their texts "may impact your relationship a bit," Nelson said. Gyms do more than build the relationship: our gameplay guide covers the character stats.

It's optional, but it changes the story

Nelson told IGN the relationship is "not something that we want to foist upon players," and when asked whether a strong relationship gives you an advantage, he said: "Not a particular gameplay benefit that I can think of really."

It does matter to the story. Nelson warned IGN that "playing missions together may not be enough to keep them together," and that whether you nurture the relationship affects how their story plays out. Our Is it true? check has the sources.

Their relationship isn't the only thing that shapes the story. A separate Criminal Profile rates how they behave, from Professional to Irredeemable, and Rockstar told Edge that it will influence how their story unfolds too. More in our report on Edge's cover story.

Can they break up?

Not for good. IGN's preview says you can't make them break up, and Edge says that however you play the relationship, the two can't turn their backs on each other: they're partners in crime on the run. You also can't have them give up crime. You choose what kind of criminals they are, not whether they're criminals.

Can they get married?

Rockstar won't say. Edge writes that you may be able to shape the relationship's closeness, its intimacy and perhaps even its legal status, but Nelson refused to confirm or deny whether the couple can marry. Until Rockstar or the game answers it, we're treating marriage as unconfirmed.

Switching between them

You can switch between Jason and Lucia whenever the story allows, Edge reports. The one you aren't playing still helps out: in a getaway, you can switch to the passenger and let the computer-controlled partner drive while you shoot at the cars behind you. Nelson showed IGN the same thing in a car.

Where they live

Edge's demo opened in a small apartment that Jason and Lucia share. Rockstar hasn't said where in Leonida it is. Nelson told IGN that safehouses are more interactive than in earlier GTA games, closer to the camps in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Who they are

Rockstar's official profiles set them up:

• Lucia is fresh out of the Leonida Penitentiary and wants the good life her mom has dreamed of since their days in Liberty City.
• Jason grew up around grifters, served in the Army and ended up working for drug runners in the Leonida Keys. His profile says it might be time to try something new.

Edge reports that both roles took "a long time" to cast. Rockstar hasn't named the actors, as our voice actors guide explains. The rest of the cast is in our characters guide, and Jason's life in the Keys is in our guide to Brian Heder, Lori and Cal Hampton.

What we don't know

• What each level of the scale unlocks, if anything.
• How much the ending depends on it. Rockstar says the relationship affects the story, not how.
• Whether they can marry. Nelson wouldn't say.