Who are Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos? GTA 6's two protagonists explained

Grand Theft Auto VI has two leads, and for the first time in the series they are a couple. Rockstar's premise, in its own framing, is that Jason and Lucia have always felt the odds were stacked against them; an easy score goes wrong, they are pulled into a conspiracy that stretches across Leonida, and they have to depend on each other to get through it.

Jason Duval

Jason grew up around crooks, did a stint in the Army, and came out of it wanting an easy life. He now works for drug runners in the Leonida Keys, chiefly Brian Heder, a veteran smuggler who moves product through his boatyard and lets Jason live rent-free in one of his properties in exchange for doing the work Brian is too old to do. His closest friend is Cal Hampton, who watches police chatter from his couch and sees conspiracies everywhere. Trailer 2 introduces Jason shirtless, fixing leaks on a boat, a line Rockstar clearly enjoyed writing.

Lucia Caminos

Lucia's father taught her to fight, and fighting for her family is what put her in Leonida Penitentiary. The first trailer opens on her in prison scrubs, putting it all down to bad luck. She spent her early years in Liberty City, got out of prison through a stroke of fortune, and intends to make nothing but smart moves from here, which, given the game she is in, is the setup for a lot of unwise ones. She wants the good life, and she is the one who gets things done when Jason hesitates.

How two leads play

The Extended Look showed the mechanics. When the two are together, switching is instant, from driver to passenger in the middle of a chase. When they are apart, the swap takes a few seconds and the camera travels to wherever the other one is; one cut goes from Lucia base-jumping to Jason on the couch. Some jobs are for one character only. The pair is also a gameplay system in its own right: when the police know they are chasing two people, splitting up removes one of the leads they can match you on, which the wanted level guide explains.

The relationship

Rockstar North's Rob Nelson told IGN that whether or not the romance develops, Jason and Lucia stay partners in crime. Nurturing the relationship changes how the story plays out; it never splits them into separate stories. Text messages between them float on screen during the showcase's final mission, which is as good a hint as any about how the writing will carry it.

The people around them

Beyond Brian and Cal, Rockstar has named Boobie Ike, a former hustler turned Vice City businessman; Dre'Quan Priest, a dealer running the Only Raw Records label; Real Dimez, the rap duo Bae-Luxe and Roxy; and Raul Bautista, a reckless career bank robber whose crew Jason and Lucia appear to join. The Trailer 2 breakdown has a line on each.

See Jason and Lucia in the official screenshots