Wanted System in Project 12

The wanted system in Project 12 by Cinnamon X (CinnamonSoftware) determines how police locate and engage criminals. It was revamped during Police Week 2026 alongside Body Cam, the jail respawn system, and the robbery mechanics. This guide explains how stars accumulate, how police track and chase wanted players, and what a criminal can do to manage or break heat. Pair this with Crime and Heat, Arrests and Chases, Housing, and Police Path.

Play: Project 12 on Roblox.

What the wanted system is

The wanted system is the heat tracker that connects criminal actions to police responses. When a player commits a crime — robbery, assault, vehicle theft, or other offenses — they accumulate wanted stars. These stars signal police officers, marking the criminal’s approximate location and giving officers justification to pursue and arrest.

The Police Week 2026 update changed how stars accumulate and how police engage with them. The overhaul introduced a more responsive tracking system where wanted status updates faster and police can locate suspects with greater accuracy.

Video guide

How wanted stars accumulate

Stars typically build based on the severity and frequency of crimes:

• Minor offenses (petty theft, trespassing): 1–2 stars, shorter cool-down
• Major offenses (robbery, vehicle theft, assault): 3–4 stars, longer cool-down
• Felony-level actions (bank robbery, police assault, escape attempts): 5 stars, maximum heat

Repeated offenses within a short window stack heat faster than isolated incidents. A criminal who commits multiple crimes in quick succession will see their star count rise faster than someone who spaces out their activities.

How police respond to wanted players

When a player has wanted stars:

1. Star display — the wanted player’s icon or marker appears on the police officer’s screen with a distance indicator
2. Location tracking — officers can see the general direction and approximate distance of the wanted player
3. Arrest authority — any officer can engage and attempt an arrest when stars are active
4. Backup calls — high-starwanted suspects often trigger multiple officers to respond

Police can check the wanted list through the law enforcement UI. The list shows star count, last known location direction, and time elapsed since the last offense. High-star targets get priority response.

How criminals manage heat

Experienced criminals develop habits to stay functional:

Avoiding escalation

• Space out crimes to let heat decay before the next action
• Avoid committing crimes near police stations or high-presence areas
• Use natural cover — alleys, building interiors, crowds — to break line of sight

Using housing to lose heat

The Housing system connects to jail respawn after Police Week 2026. Entering your safe house does not automatically clear stars, but it does provide a defensible position where police must breach to arrest you. Know your house layout and exit routes before relying on it as a heat management tool.

The cooldown window

Stars decay over time if no new offenses occur. The decay rate depends on star level:

• 1–2 stars: faster decay, often clear within a few minutes of no activity
• 3–4 stars: slower decay, may require waiting or active evasion
• 5 stars: very slow or no decay without police intervention

Use the cooldown window strategically. After a high-profile crime, go quiet and let heat drop before resuming activity.

Police side: how to use the wanted system effectively

Reading the wanted list

The law enforcement UI displays:

• Player name and star count
• Direction to last known location
• Time since last offense
• Crime type indicator when available

Prioritize targets by star count and proximity. A 5-star suspect actively fleeing takes priority over a 2-star distant target.

Coordinating chases

Call out wanted targets over proximity chat. Share direction, vehicle type, and star count with responding officers. Coordinate pit maneuvers and road blocks using Vehicles and the chase tactics in Arrests and Chases.

Arrest vs. disengage

Not every chase ends in an arrest. If a suspect escapes to a location that is difficult to breach or has too much distance, it may be more effective to let heat decay and track them later. Overextending on a chase wastes time better spent on patrol presence.

Relationship to Body Cam

The Body Cam first-person perspective affects how officers see wanted markers. In third person, the over-the-shoulder view gives broader awareness of approaching or flanking suspects. Body Cam narrows that cone, so tracking a wanted suspect in first person requires more deliberate camera sweeps. Use the distance and direction indicators more actively when using Body Cam.

Relationship to the robbery system

The Robbery System generates wanted stars when a criminal attempts to steal from a safe house or business. Robbery runs often end with elevated heat. Plan your exit before initiating a robbery — know the wanted level you will face and whether you can sustain a chase.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Result	Correction
Robbing near a police station	Instant 4–5 stars, rapid response	Check map before robbing
Committing crimes in rapid succession	Stars stack past escape threshold	Wait for partial decay between crimes
Using the same escape route every time	Police predict and intercept	Vary routes, use terrain
Fighting police at high wanted level	Extended chase, potential death	Evade rather than engage at 4–5 stars
Ignoring the wanted list UI	No situational awareness	Check the list before initiating any crime

FAQ

Q: Does hiding in a building clear wanted stars? A: Stars decay based on time without offenses, not location. Hiding in a building slows police response but does not clear heat on its own. You still need the cooldown window.

Q: Can police see through walls to find wanted players? A: The wanted system shows direction and approximate distance, not precise wall-through locations. Police must still search the area.

Q: What happens if I die with wanted stars? A: Police Week 2026 connected jail respawn to housing. Death with active stars may result in jail respawn rather than a standard respawn, depending on circumstances.

Q: Does Body Cam make it harder to track wanted suspects? A: Body Cam narrows your visible cone, making peripheral awareness harder. Use the direction indicator and audio cues (engine sounds, footsteps) more actively in first person.

Q: Can civilians also get wanted stars? A: The criminal path generates stars. Civilians doing legal jobs do not accumulate stars, but if a civilian engages in crime they adopt the same heat mechanics.

Related pages

Crime and Heat · Arrests and Chases · Housing · Robbery System · Body Cam · Police Path · Civilian and Criminal