GTA 6 will have hurricanes and 170+ animal species, Rockstar tells Game Informer

Game Informer's 14-page Grand Theft Auto VI cover story went live on September 29, 2026, with new Rockstar interviews and 12 new screenshots. The biggest headline: hurricanes and tropical storms are coming to Leonida, along with more than 170 animal species.

Hurricanes and a new weather system#

According to the story, Rockstar rebuilt its weather to be regional and persistent. You can stand in sunshine in one part of the map and watch a storm build in the distance. When a big storm arrives, Rockstar describes heavy cloud, strong wind, thunder, lightning and a lot of rain, with water pouring off roofs and lampposts.

Wind is also new: it moves hair, loose debris, water and plants.

What Rockstar didn't say: how often hurricanes happen, whether they're scripted or random, and whether they affect missions.

170+ species and legendary animals#

Game Informer puts Leonida's wildlife at more than 170 species:

• over 60 kinds of birds
• over 30 land mammals
• fish and reptiles on top of that

Named animals include alligators, manatees, flamingos and pelicans, plus invasive species such as green iguanas and rhesus macaques. Animals are reportedly grouped as Rare, Discoverable and Legendary, an idea fans will know from Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar hasn't said which animals are Legendary or what you get for finding them.

Our wiki tracks the animals Rockstar has shown so far in wildlife and the systems behind them in weather and wildlife.

Map size: around twice GTA 5#

Rockstar's Aaron Garbut told Game Informer the map is around twice the size of GTA 5's, and that the focus is on density and hand-made detail, not just size. That matches what Rob Nelson told press in August. There's still no official square-mile figure. See Leonida's regions explained for what's in each area.

Activities mentioned#

The story lists pastimes we already knew from previews, including base jumping, scuba diving, kayaking, mini golf, pool, the gym, racing, airboats, jet skis and trips to the zoo.

What's next#

GTA VI launches on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. For everything confirmed so far, read our master guide.