Five big new details about Grand Theft Auto 6: map size confirmed, 170 animal species revealed, a wild new dynamic weather system, and more

Date:
Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:40:36 +0000

Description:
New Grand Theft Auto 6 details have emerged, and we've highlighted the most interesting, from an upgraded weather system, a map bigger than GTA 5's, and more.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter New details about Grand Theft Auto 6 have emerged ahead of the game's launch, courtesy of an exclusive
cover story by Game Informer , confirming even more gameplay features and immersive systems that will bring Leonida and Vice City to life.

There's a lot to unpack, from an expansive open world to an array of side activities to engage with, and the ability to post on social media and doomscroll, but I've put together the top five things that stood out. 1. A
map bigger and better than ever before (Image credit: Rockstar Games) GTA 6
's world, which consists of six primary regions including Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and Mount Kalaha National Park, all culminates in a massive open world that Rockstar Games has ever created "by some degree," according to Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Essentially, it's twice as big as GTA 5 's world, and is more dense, populated, and
interactive.

"This new world is different," Garbut said. "We obsessed about every part
the rooftops, the alleys, the internals and everything in between to the
point we hit a critical mass with the numbers of our interiors, and you start to feel the buildings are more real inside and out. This world is a cohesive whole with the density of content and a hand-crafted quality to every bit." You may like 16 new GTA 6 details we learned from the big Extended Look gameplay video Grand Theft Auto 6 'Extended Look' on Netflix live updates:
all the reveals as they happen Rockstar reveals it built a GTA 6 team that focused solely on creating more realistic NPCs with over 600,000 animations twice as many as Red Dead Redemption 2 had 2. An improved weather system (Image credit: Rockstar Games) GTA 6 will bring realism to the next level and offer a brand new "re-engineered" dynamic and localized weather system, and players will experience everything from hot, sunny weather to rain showers, lightning storms, and more. Puddles will also remain on the ground after the rain passes, realistic rainbows will appear in the sky, and lighting will change depending on the situation.

"We have re-engineered our weather system to make everything much more localized and persistent, and really wanted the world to feel dynamically solid and achieve a sense of scale we haven't felt before," said Rockstar's
VP of art for lighting and rendering, Owen Shepherd. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"The world features new fully dynamic cloudscapes that roll across the map; these give us a broad spectrum of weather from the clear blue skies of a
Miami winter to the vertiginous cumulonimbus clouds with sporadic lighting that you see most afternoons in the Floridian summer and autumn." 3. Sooo
many animals (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2
, GTA 6 will feature a wide variety of animals, including dogs you can pet, with Rockstar confirming 170 animal species in total.

Many of these are Leonida-native species that have never appeared in a Rockstar Games title, including over 60 bird types, more than 30 land
mammals, various fish, reptiles, and more. What to read next New GTA 6
details reveal a 'Bonnie and Clyde-type' narrative, life sim systems, and the ability to seamlessly swap between Jason and Lucia during gameplay The latest GTA 6 leak shows Vice City from above and the level of detail is simply staggering GTA 6 gets leaked again with a new cutscene, gameplay, and the map revealed

Rockstar vice president of dynamic art Michael Kane revealed that the game will feature creatures like flamingos, pelicans, and alligators; these are just a few of what players will encounter.

"Florida has a diverse animal ecosystem that we wanted to faithfully include across the different biomes in Leonida urban and rural environs, aquatic
life both inland and ocean, and the wetland habitats like the swamps and Everglades," Kane said. "The animal art and population teams are incredibly passionate about delivering animals that are accurately researched and look visually correct in every respect, alongside the supporting movement and animation to bring them to life." 4. More authentic NPCs and a passion for fashion (Image credit: Rockstar Games) As we've seen from the trailers and gameplay presentation, GTA 6 will have a ridiculous number of handcrafted non-player characters (NPCs) with over 600,000 animations combinedand will bring a new sense of realism to Vice City.

Rockstar has previously confirmed that the studio established a new Los Angeles-based team of writers, directors, and producers to focus solely on realizing non-player characters ; according to Kane in Game Informer's interview, it was a "huge artist-driven effort" to make them "authentic and representative in service to both the story requirements and so that the entire Leonida map feels visually diverse and believable."

NPCs will now have different heights, skin and body types, individual features, with Kane adding that Rockstar "paid a crazy amount of attention"
to making culturally correct tattoo styles that fit Leonida's diverse communities and regions, with hair and fashion also being heavily considered.

"Weve been able to really go hard on that with creating the biggest range of garments and accessories weve ever made supported with rich, realistic materials," Kane said.

"That surfacing includes color, patterns and branding that are both area-appropriate, but also tied to context (states of dirt/weathering and fitment) for the characters themselves and their social situation and how
they inhabit Leonida. Shoes, sneakers, and colorways that we know carry cultural weight as items likewise watches, sunglasses, or hats." 5.
Robberies and the wanted system (Image credit: Rockstar Games) As we've seen in the gameplay footage, players can take control of either Lucia or Jason. This applies across the game, including for heists and robberies.

However, alongside a six-star Wanted system, Rockstar has introduced a new "Heat" system that means cops can gather information on the co-protagonist's appearance, including their clothes, hairstyle, and the vehicle they're driving.

Changing Lucia and Jason's appearance and ditching their vehicle can help players lose cops, but separating the pair can give them a better advantage
by splitting the cops' attention.

However, getting arrested will result in a "Busted" screen even if the other protagonist gets away, so players need to think carefully about their escape plans. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! The best gaming consoles All the best consoles of this generation

Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles 1. Best overall: PlayStation 5 Slim 2. Best budget: Xbox Series S 3. Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2 4. Most powerful: PlayStation 5 Pro



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/five-big-new-details-about-grand-theft-auto-6 -map-size-confirmed-170-animal-species-revealed-a-wild-new-dynamic-weather-sys tem-and-more


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