With the release now just weeks away, Rockstar keeps opening the hood on Grand Theft Auto 6. After the big gameplay showcase, a new batch of details has arrived, and the headline item is the weather: the studio says it rebuilt the whole system from the ground up for the sixth game.
A weather system built for Florida
Owen Shephard, Rockstar’s vice president of art for lighting and visualization, says the team reworked the weather system so everything feels believable and the world reads as genuinely dynamic – a level the studio claims wasn’t possible before.
In practice that means GTA 6 tries to replicate Florida weather faithfully, including localized showers. You can stand in one part of the world and watch rain fall over a different neighborhood. Drive there afterwards and the place will be soaked, with puddles sitting in the potholes.
Short cloudbursts aren’t the only thing on the menu. Full-blown hurricanes and tropical storms are in as well, although Shephard didn’t go into how heavily they affect the world or whether one can roll in mid-mission. He instead moved on to a new system of dynamic clouds, which lets the sky slide smoothly from Florida summer to a solid overcast. Look at rain clouds from the right angle and you’ll get a realistic rainbow.
Wind that touches everything
Wind has been upgraded alongside the weather and affects pretty much every detail in the environment and on characters. Hair moves in the breeze, dry roads kick up clouds of dust, coastal air whips up serious waves, and grass bends under the gusts out in the swamps.
NPCs with a dedicated team behind them
Rockstar has a separate team in Los Angeles working purely on NPCs, and the result is supposed to be the widest character variety in the series’ history. Bodies differ in muscle composition, chest and backside size, and there’s a whole range of weight classes rather than a handful of reused templates.
Fashion is just as varied. What NPCs wear changes depending on which region of the state of Leonida you’re in – nobody in the countryside is strolling around in a tailored suit, and downtown won’t be full of sweaty tank tops. The developers say regional trends drive clothing as well as jewelry, tattoos and hairstyles.
The phone: WAiNK, RydeMe and endless scrolling
Just like in the fifth game, the smartphone is central. When you’re hunting for a car, the WAiNK app tells you what security features a given model has, what you could sell it for, and how much legalizing it would cost.
For fast travel, Jason and Lucia use RydeMe, essentially the local Uber. You can even jump into a shared ride and pick up unique NPC interactions while crossing the map.
Snapmatic, the Instagram parody from GTA 5, returns too. The protagonists can’t post anything themselves – they’re wanted criminals – but nothing stops you from doomscrolling an infinite feed. We’ve already taken a closer look at how the in-game social media feeds work.
Over 170 animal species and the return of hunting
Beyond heists, strip clubs and city life, GTA 6 puts real weight on nature. Animals also get their own dedicated team, which is why there was time to fuss over different kinds of fur, scales and everything else needed for more than 170 animal species. That includes over 60 birds, more than 30 mammals, plus plenty of fish and reptiles. Native fauna is joined by invasive species, something Florida has genuinely been dealing with in recent years.
Hunting is now fully confirmed as well, following the template of Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar isn’t saying what the legendary trophies will be this time, but if that side of Arthur Morgan’s story worked for you, there’s a version of it here.
Confirmed side activities
- Base jumping from high-rises
- Pool
- Gyms
- Kayaking
- Minigolf
- Diving
- Street and off-road racing
- Visiting the zoo
- Boats and jet skis
The list will almost certainly grow – these are just the minigames confirmed so far.
Where to go next
If you’re catching up on everything around the launch, we’ve covered the fact that GTA 6 ships single-player, and we also wrote about the collector’s box. Everything else we’ve published sits in our GTA news hub.
FAQ
Rockstar rebuilt the weather system completely. It simulates Florida weather including localized showers, so rain can fall over one neighborhood while you watch from another, and the area stays wet with puddles in potholes afterwards. Hurricanes and tropical storms are in too.
A new system that lets the sky transition smoothly from Florida summer to heavy overcast. Rockstar says if you look at rain clouds from the right angle, you’ll see a realistic rainbow.
More than 170 species, including over 60 birds, more than 30 mammals, plus fish and reptiles. Alongside native fauna there are invasive species as well.
Yes, hunting is confirmed in the style of Red Dead Redemption 2. The developers haven’t revealed what the legendary trophies will be.
WAiNK for checking a car’s security, resale value and legalization cost, RydeMe as a local ride-hailing service for fast travel, and Snapmatic for scrolling social feeds. Jason and Lucia can’t post themselves because they’re wanted criminals.