Game Informer published its GTA 6 cover story on 29 September. Marcus Stewart, who lives in South Florida, interviewed six members of Rockstar’s team. Much of the story repeats what came out of the August previews: the heat system, the WAiNK scanner, a map twice the size of GTA V’s, and missions that open up only once you have earned enough money. We have covered those in what the previews actually said and the NPC and robbery accounts. This piece covers only what Rockstar told Game Informer that it had not said before.
More than 170 animal species, including manatees and monkeys
Game Informer reports more than 170 animal species across Leonida: over 60 kinds of bird, more than 30 land mammals, plus fish, reptiles and others. Some of them have never appeared in a Rockstar game before. Michael Kane, Rockstar’s vice president of dynamic art, confirmed manatees, flamingos and pelicans, as well as the alligators already seen in the trailers.
Florida’s invasive species are in the game too. The magazine lists the green iguana, cane toad, feral cat, nine-banded armadillo and rhesus macaque. Scuba diving brings sharks, whales, rays, turtles and jellyfish, and Kane says each has its own way of moving. Fur is simulated, and gets matted and clumped when an animal is wet or dirty.
Tracking works the way it does in Red Dead Redemption 2. Animals are graded Rare, Discoverable or Legendary. Rockstar is not naming which animals fall into each grade, because it wants players to come across them while exploring.
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Rain falls on one area while the next one stays sunny
Owen Shepherd, vice president of art for lighting and rendering, told Game Informer that Rockstar has “re-engineered our weather system to make everything much more localized and persistent”. Clouds move across the map, and rain falls on part of the map rather than everywhere at once. You can stand in sunshine and watch a storm hit a nearby district. Rain can leave rainbows behind in the right light, and wet ground and puddles stay after the storm has passed.
A new wind system adds offshore breezes after sunset, updrafts, and shelter behind buildings. Wind moves hair and debris on rooftops, ripples water and bends the grass in the swamps.
Tropical storms and hurricanes are in the game. Shepherd described what they look like: heavy cloud, strong wind, water pouring off roof edges, lightning. He did not say how often they happen or whether they affect missions or the story.
North Leonida is based on Panama City, Jacksonville and Ocala
Mount Kalaga National Park sits on Leonida’s northern border. In the game’s naming, that border is the Leonida-Gloriana line, standing in for the Florida-Georgia line. Paul MacPherson, senior vice president of environment art, said the team studied Panama City, Jacksonville, Ocala and the small towns between them. Logging and cleared forest gave them “visually striking spaces and fun gameplay opportunities”, and so did gated communities built around private jets and their own airstrips.
MacPherson listed the region’s activities:
- ATV trails.
- A mud-park party.
- Night-time demolition derby races on floodlit oval tracks.
- Mountain-bike trails.
- Farms and ranches.
- A private golf course.
- Motocross in the coastal dunes.
- Bass fishing on a cypress lake.
Game Informer asked whether Orlando’s theme parks or the Space Coast are in the game. MacPherson did not say yes: “while we may not have those exact locations, everything we have is geared to getting that full Florida experience!”
RydeMe is a ride-share app for fast travel
A ride-share app called RydeMe gets you around quickly, and you can talk to passengers when you share a ride. The map has been redrawn to look like satellite imagery. Jason and Lucia can scroll social media, including Snapmatic, but they never post, because they are wanted criminals.
If one of them is Busted, you get the Busted screen
We reported last month that if Jason or Lucia gets Wasted in a two-person situation, both are out. Game Informer adds the arrest version: if one of them is arrested, you get the Busted screen even when the other gets away.
You cannot break them up, and being a couple gives no gameplay edge
The relationship can stay a friendship or become a romance, but you cannot split Jason and Lucia up. Holding hands, opening doors for each other, answering calls and texts promptly and accepting invitations all build the romance. According to Game Informer, being a couple gives no gameplay advantage over staying friends, though Rockstar has said parts of the story change depending on the relationship.
Base jumping, zoos and airboats are newly confirmed
The magazine lists the activities Rockstar has confirmed. Three had not been confirmed by Rockstar before:
- Base jumping.
- Zoos.
- Airboats.
Billiards and mini golf are on Game Informer’s list too, but Rob Nelson named pool and mini golf to IGN in August. Kayaking, jet skiing, scuba diving, gyms and street and off-road racing complete the list.
NPCs vary in height, build and skin
Kane says Leonida’s pedestrians now differ in height and build, including muscle and where they carry weight. Skin shows freckles, moles and tan lines. Tattoos, hairstyles and clothes follow the local community and region, down to trainers, watches and sunglasses. Game Informer repeats that a team in Los Angeles works only on NPC dialogue, which the Dazed deep dive reported in August.
Sources
Game Informer, “Grand Theft Auto VI – Welcome to Leonida”, Marcus Stewart, 29 September 2026 (issue 382). Everything above is what Rockstar staff told Game Informer. Rockstar has not published any of it on its own channels. The rest of what we know is on the GTA 6 hub.
Correction, 30 September 2026: this article first said five activities on Game Informer’s list were newly confirmed. Billiards and mini golf were not new; Rockstar’s Rob Nelson mentioned both to IGN in August. The heading and list now name the three that are new.