The actor behind Michael De Santa says Rockstar Games has made major technological advances, praising the lifelike pedestrian movement shown in GTA 6: Extended Look.
Ned Luke, best known for playing Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto 5, has shared his reaction to Rockstar Games’ upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 following the release of the game’s Extended Look on August 27, 2026.
Although Luke has not been confirmed to appear in GTA 6, the actor praised Rockstar’s technical improvements, particularly the animation quality and realistic movement of pedestrians shown in the new footage.
Reacting to the Extended Look on YouTube, Luke argued that GTA 5 and GTA 6 should not be directly compared because more than a decade of technological progress separates the two games.
According to Luke, one of the most noticeable improvements in GTA 6 is the way pedestrians move. He said the walking animations appear far more natural and lifelike than those seen in GTA 5.
“Watch the way people move. The walks are actual human walks,” Luke said. He recalled that character movement in GTA 5 still had a somewhat mechanical appearance, particularly in the way characters stood and moved their legs.
Luke said advances in gaming technology have significantly changed what developers can achieve since GTA 5 was released in 2013.
“The technology has grown by leaps and bounds,” he said, adding that each generation of Rockstar games benefits from major improvements in graphics and animation.
Some fans have criticised the GTA 6 Extended Look, with comparisons being made to GTA 5 and Rockstar’s 2018 title Red Dead Redemption 2. Some viewers argued that certain gunfights and chase scenes felt similar to gameplay from the previous Grand Theft Auto title.
Luke strongly disagreed with those comparisons.
“This looks nothing like Grand Theft Auto 5,” he said, dismissing claims that the two games looked similar. He also argued that the graphics shown in the Extended Look surpassed those of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Luke jokingly added that the character models in GTA 6, particularly Jason Duval, looked far better than his own appearance as Michael De Santa.
While Ned Luke’s involvement in GTA 6 remains unconfirmed, his reaction has attracted attention because of his experience working extensively with Rockstar Games on motion capture and voice acting for GTA 5.