GTA 6’s New Sprint Controls Are Already Dividing Fans

Grand Theft Auto 5 did a lot of things right, but one of the more controversial decisions was making players repeatedly tap X on PlayStation controls or A on Xbox controls to have the player character sprint. While this did take many players some getting used to, it eventually became something of a trademark feature for Rockstar Games.

However, according to the Italian YouTuber MikeShowSha, who was invited to Rockstar North for a GTA 6 preview, Rockstar may be changing the game’s iconic sprint controls. According to him, the build he saw had the sprinting mapped to L3 instead of repeatedly tapping X or A.

GTA 6 will have the L3 button as the sprint button, unlike previous Rockstar titles that have used spam hit X to sprint.

(Source: @MikeShowSha) pic.twitter.com/xUspPsP87h
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 1, 2026

While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with pressing L3 to sprint, especially since it’s the most widely used button mapping for third-person and first-person games, many fans believe that this makes the Grand Theft Auto franchise lose some of its identity. According to MikeShowSha, the X or A buttons are now used for emergency braking, which should help players shoot while driving.

Fortunately for the fans who are worried about this change, Rockstar hasn’t published any official controller layout yet. There’s a chance that the L3 spring could just be for preview attendees, or maybe players could have the option to change to the classic control layout if they want.

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GTA 6 Could Abandon a 25-Year-Old GTA Tradition

The Grand Theft Auto series has asked players to press A or X to sprint since Grand Theft Auto 3 came out in 2001. Many fans feel that GTA 6 stepping away from this controller layout would be the equivalent of Rockstar stepping away from a 25-year-old tradition that has become a core part of the game’s identity.

There’s already some backlash from players who say that they have built muscle memory from playing Grand Theft Auto 5 and Online for so many years. Such a drastic change would take some getting used to and make the transition from GTA V to GTA 6 somewhat annoying for many.