GTA 6 in Game Informer: hurricanes, 170 animals and a map twice as big
Game Informer's cover story reveals GTA VI's weather, with hurricanes and lasting rain, over 170 animal species, a map twice the size of GTA V's and its activities.
GTA VI is on the cover of Game Informer issue 382, which went live digitally on September 29, 2026 with a 14-page feature and 12 new screenshots (see them all here). Rockstar's leads focus on the state of Leonida: its size, its weather and its wildlife. Here are the key facts.
A map twice the size of GTA V's
According to Aaron Garbut, art director and co-studio head at Rockstar North, Leonida is Rockstar's biggest map by some margin: roughly twice the size of GTA V's, with far more detail, density, interaction and interiors. There's extra attention on rooftops, alleys and buildings you can enter.
Another key point: the story won't take you across the whole map. Some areas you'll only find by exploring on your own, with mechanics built around it.
Confirmed locations | Examples |
|---|---|
City and coast | Vice City, beaches, industrial zones, the Leonida Keys |
Wilderness | Grassrivers and other swamps, the northern countryside, ATV trails, mud parks |
Rural pastimes | Farms, ranches, golf courses, bass fishing, motocross, mountain biking, demolition derbies |
Oddities | Abandoned tourist attractions |
Weather with hurricanes
The weather system builds on Red Dead Redemption 2's but has been reworked to be localized and persistent. It can pour in one part of the map while you're in sunshine, and the effects linger:
- Rain leaves puddles that stick around and surfaces that stay wet long after a storm, and it can produce rainbows.
- Tropical storms and hurricanes are in, with heavy clouds and strong winds.
- A new wind system models offshore breezes, updrafts and the shelter of buildings, moving hair, debris, water and swamp grass.
- Dynamic clouds drift across Leonida and change the lighting, as in Red Dead 2.
More than 170 animal species
Wildlife is another big leap. Leonida will have over 170 species, including 60+ types of birds and 30+ land mammals, plus fish and reptiles. Confirmed so far: alligators, manatees, flamingos, pelicans, sharks, whales, rays, turtles, jellyfish and iguanas, along with Florida's invasive species such as green iguanas, cane toads and rhesus macaques.
Some animals can be tracked and fall into Rare, Discoverable and Legendary tiers, a system that recalls Red Dead 2's legendary animals. Rockstar is keeping their identities under wraps. Fur, feathers and animal movement have all had extensive simulation work.
Things to do in Leonida
Game Informer confirms a long list of activities: BASE jumping, pool, gyms, kayaking, mini golf, scuba diving, street and off-road racing, zoos, airboating, jet skiing and hiking, which also doubles as a date activity for Jason and Lucia.
Our take
If An Extended Look showed how GTA VI plays, this feature shows where. The message is clear: GTA VI wants to be as much wilderness as city, with a map you can lose yourself in far from the story, much like Red Dead 2. Hurricanes are the big unknown: we still don't know if they're pure spectacle or whether they'll genuinely change how you play while they last. We'll find out on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
