Grand Theft Auto VI will bring hurricanes, more than 170 animal species and a player-shaped relationship between Jason and Lucia to Leonida, according to Game Informer's new cover story. The 14-page feature explains how Rockstar is building its version of Florida, from the weather rolling across the state to the wildlife inhabiting it, alongside 12 new screenshots.
It builds on the missions and activities shown in Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, with more detail on the systems behind that footage. The game remains scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
A Larger Map With More Interiors
Rockstar Games' head developer Aaron Garbut says Leonida is about twice the size of Grand Theft Auto 5's map. More importantly, he says, it's denser, more detailed, and more interactive, with a lot more interiors. Rockstar Games says it obsessed over every part of the world, the rooftops, the alleys, the building interiors, and the spaces in between, and designed the whole thing as one cohesive environment rather than separate areas that feel disconnected.
There are six main regions: Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and Mount Kalaga National Park. Vice City itself has been rebuilt and expanded for a modern setting.
Outside the city, the map includes swamps, beaches, abandoned tourist attractions, industrial areas, and northern countryside. Rockstar also mentioned ATV trails, mud parks, demolition derbies, mountain biking, motocross, farms, ranches, golf, and bass fishing.
Jason and Lucia's Relationship
Within that world, Jason and Lucia can be controlled separately or together, with switching available at almost any time. Their story follows a botched score that pulls them into a larger criminal conspiracy.
The relationship system is optional and player-driven. Their bond can stay platonic or develop romantically depending on your choices, with things like holding hands, opening doors, keeping in touch, and spending time together building it up. There are no gameplay bonuses for either path, but the relationship affects parts of the story.
Rockstar also says choices both big and small can significantly change the story's direction. That gives another playthrough something to explore beyond choosing a different approach to a robbery.
Robberies, Police and the Heat System
Robberies can be pulled off alone or together, and you can approach them loud and fast or quiet and thorough. How far you escalate a crime affects the police response and some missions only become available depending on how much money you have. Robbing places together can also strengthen Jason and Lucia's relationship, tying the crime and relationship systems together.
The Extended Look already showed the return of six-star wanted levels. The cover story adds detail on a new Heat system. Police can use your appearance and location at a crime scene to identify you, so changing your clothes or hairstyle, ditching your getaway vehicle, or splitting up with your partner can help you escape. If either protagonist gets arrested, you still get the classic "Busted" screen.
Car theft is more involved this time too. Stealing certain vehicles requires special tools and expensive cars can have difficult security systems and trackers. The WAiNK phone app can scan a vehicle and reveal those features, along with the cost of registering a stolen car or its estimated resale value.
Phone Apps, Ride-Sharing and the Satellite Map
Your phone also handles travel around Leonida. The RydeMe app lets you fast travel by ride-share, while the pause-menu map now resembles satellite imagery. While you're riding along, you can chat with other passengers, listen to radio stations with new licensed music, and browse in-game social media. Jason and Lucia can also view posts, but they won't make their own, since they're wanted criminals.
Local Storms, Lasting Puddles and Hurricanes
The weather system has been completely re-engineered from Red Dead Redemption 2 and it's now localized and persistent. Fully dynamic cloudscapes move across Leonida and generate different conditions, so it can be sunny where you are while a storm hits somewhere nearby. Rain can leave persistent puddles and wet surfaces after it stops, and rainbows can appear under the right conditions.
There is also a heavily upgraded wind system that drives a lot of it. Breezes roll in off the water after sunset, warm air rises in updrafts, and tall buildings break up the flow around them. You'll see it in the way hair and loose debris get kicked around on rooftops, how the surface of the water ripples, and how the swamp grass bends.
Tropical storms and hurricanes are also confirmed for Leonida. Major storms come with heavy clouds, powerful winds, torrential rain, dripping environments, water pouring off rooftops and lampposts, thunder, and lightning lighting up the clouds. Rockstar hasn't said yet how often they happen or how they affect missions and the story, though.
Over 170 Animal Species
Rockstar has confirmed that Leonida has more than 170 animal species, including over 60 types of birds and more than 30 land mammals, plus a lot of fish and reptiles. Some of it is Leonida-native wildlife never seen in a Rockstar game before.
Confirmed wildlife includes alligators, manatees, flamingos, pelicans, iguanas, feral cats, cane toads, armadillos, and rhesus macaques. Marine life includes different species of sharks, whales, rays, turtles, and jellyfish, each with distinct movement behaviours.
The detail work on the animals is really impressive. Some have shimmering, glowing, or see-through surfaces, and the feather, hair, and fur systems have all been reworked. Fur reacts to the environment too, soaking through in the rain and matting or clumping up when an animal gets dirty.
Some animals can also be tracked and fall into Rare, Discoverable, and Legendary categories, and Rockstar is keeping their identities a secret for now. This is very reminiscent of the Legendary animals system of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Highly Detailed NPCs
NPCs have a much wider range of heights, body types, musculature, and localized body-fat distribution. Different skin types are represented with details like freckles, moles, and tanning, and Rockstar put real work into culturally accurate tattoos, hairstyles, and body grooming that match Leonida's different communities.
Clothing also has a big focus this time around. It varies depending on location, social situation, dirt, weathering, and fit, and Rockstar says GTA 6 has its largest range of clothing and accessories yet. There's even a team dedicated entirely to writing ambient NPC dialogue.
GTA 6 giveaway
Win a full copy of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition.We're giving away full copies of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition in several draws through launch. Enter with your email, then join in once on the site. One entry per person.
Prize
A full copy of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition
Email first, then one site action during the draw window.
Confirmed Activities
Beyond missions, the activities confirmed so far include the following. Several were already visible in the Extended Look:
-
Base Jumping
-
Billiards
-
Gyms
-
Kayaking
-
Mini Golf
-
Scuba Diving
-
Street Racing
-
Off-Road Racing
-
Zoos
-
Air Boating
-
Jet Skiing
The Supporting Cast Around Jason and Lucia
The supporting cast includes these previously announced characters:
Separately, Stephen Root recently confirmed a voice role in GTA VI. Reports identify his character as Brian Heder, although Root did not name the character himself.
The most interesting part of the cover story is how much attention Rockstar is giving to what happens between jobs: a storm passing through another part of Leonida, wildlife worth tracking, or time spent with Jason and Lucia. Alongside the larger map and extra interiors, those details give players more reasons to explore beyond the next mission marker.
The Extended Look showed that world in motion. This feature explains more of what goes into it ahead of the November 19 launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
