New information about Grand Theft Auto 6 continues to be revealed. Game Informer’s most recent issue included a number of new details, and we’ve rounded up some of the key things we learned below.
Story Setup
It seems like we’ll start the game playing as Jason, since Lucia is still in prison. When Lucia gets out, the two get a score because they both want to live better, wealthier lives. It’s supposed to be a simple job, but they get caught and an entire mystery that spans all of Leonida will unfold.
Map Size
While there has been a lot of speculation, leaks, and information around the internet about the GTA 6 map size, it’s now been confirmed that Leonida in GTA 6 is twice the size of GTA 5. It’s the largest map Rockstar has ever created by “some degree.” It’s difficult to fathom a bigger and more detailed world than Red Dead Redemption 2, but GTA 6 is about to deliver it. We’re curious to see how all of the different areas of the map fit together to make one unified Leonida.
The Main Regions
The map is split into six different areas, and they are: Vice City, Leonida Quays, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and the Mount Kalaga National Park. Vice City is obviously based on Miami, and probably where you’ll spend the most of your time. Grassrivers is GTA 6’s version of the Everglades. Port Gellhorn, which represents smaller towns that double as tourist traps in Florida. Ambrosia is the “heart” of Leonida where a lot of factories and distilleries are, and we imagine there’ll be plenty of seedy shootouts here. Mount Kalaga will have the off-road events, but also has some wealthier areas.
Rideshare App
The Rideshare app is called RydeMe. When you take one of these rideshares, you can chat with other NPCs and hang out, listen to music, and get from one point to another. GTA 4’s cab hailing mechanic seems to have been expanded hugely here for GTA 6.
Weather
There’s a lot of new detail about the weather. Florida has very turbulent weather, and it seems like Rockstar is trying to capture that. Weather is dynamic and localized–it doesn’t just happen in your vicinity. If you’re flying a plane you’ll see thunderstorms in the distance or sunny spots. It’ll all happen concurrently. If the conditions of the storms are right, a dynamic rainbow can be formed, but evidence of the rain will also be present. Puddles, wet pavements, and maybe NPCs with wet hair will all be clear signs of a recent rainstorm.
Wind has had an overhaul since RDR2, and Rockstar has ensured it is as realistic as possible. Clothes, hair, and items will all move in the wind. It’s more localized, and depending on the weather, the wind can change. If it’s windy over a body of water, you’ll see ripples, and more of the wind’s effects on the surrounding environment.
Hurricanes
Separate to the weather, hurricanes will be present in GTA 6. We don’t know if there will be any gameplay implications, but we’d hope so. Maybe a strong gust of wind would affect driving, or there could be floods. Rockstar has said gutters can overflow and affect the nearby environment. Perhaps entire routes are impassable due to hurricane damage.
Jason and Lucia
Jason’s story starts in Leonida Quays as he’s driving around completing smaller jobs. Lucia is from Liberty City and has moved to Leonida, but the reason she ended up in prison is something to do with her family.
Wildlife
There are over 170 species, 60 of which are birds, over 30 land mammals, and a bunch of fish and reptiles. Some animals specifically called out are manatees, flamingos, pelicans, alligators, feral cats, king toads, armadillos, non-native monkeys, sharks, whales, rays, turtles, and jellyfish. There are probably more to be spotted in the trailers. Animal fur is reactive and can be wet, matted with dirt, or pressed down.
Activities
A lot of these can be seen in the trailers, or called out in our GTA 6 activities guide. These include base jumping, billiards, working out in the gym, kayaking, racing, visiting the zoo, airboating, jet-skiing, and mini-golfing.
NPCs
Some of this we already knew, but GTA 6 has the most diverse cast of NPCs yet. Diverse body types and looks are going to be walking the streets of Leonida. Interestingly though, NPC appearances won’t be entirely randomized. There are a lot of different factors at play, including location. Where are they from and where do they live? Different areas of Leonida have different clothing styles, different tattoos, and different haircuts.
Those are the biggest takeaways we found in Game Informer’s article. If you’d like to read it in full, take a look at the current issue of the magazine that’s out now.
