Leonida is modelled on Florida, and Florida means storms. Game Informer’s cover story has confirmed that the GTA 6 weather system includes tropical storms and full hurricanes, alongside a wildlife roster of more than 170 animal species. It is the most detailed look yet at how alive Rockstar’s new map is supposed to feel. Here is everything that has been revealed, and the questions Rockstar still has not answered.
Key facts
- GTA 6’s weather is localized and persistent: different parts of the map can have different conditions at the same time.
- Tropical storms and hurricanes are confirmed.
- The game features more than 170 animal species, including over 60 birds and over 30 land mammals.
- Some animals are classed as Rare, Discoverable or Legendary.
- Leonida is about twice the size of GTA 5’s map, according to Rockstar North’s Aaron Garbut.
Where the GTA 6 weather details come from
Game Informer published a 14-page Grand Theft Auto VI cover story on September 29, 2026, with twelve new screenshots. It triggered the biggest spike in GTA 6 search interest of the week, and the weather and wildlife sections are the parts players have been asking about most. Everything below comes from that story and from Rockstar developers quoted in it.
How the GTA 6 weather system works
Rockstar started from the weather technology it built for Red Dead Redemption 2 and re-engineered it. Two words sum up the result: localized and persistent.
Localized means the weather is not one global setting. It can be pouring over the Grassrivers swamps while Vice City is dry, with cloud formations that vary from one region to the next.
Persistent means the world remembers what just happened. After a storm passes, puddles and wet surfaces stay behind instead of vanishing the moment the rain stops.
Rain, puddles and rainbows
Rain soaks surfaces and collects in puddles, and under the right conditions you will see rainbows afterwards. Water runs off rooftops and drips from street furniture during heavy downpours.
GTA 6’s wind system
Wind is simulated rather than faked. Breezes come in off the water after sunset, warm air rises in updrafts, and tall buildings break up the airflow around them. That matters in a game where you can base jump, fly and pilot airboats.
GTA 6 weather: hurricanes and tropical storms
This is the headline. Major storms bring heavy cloud cover, powerful winds, torrential rain, thunder and lightning. Game Informer describes environments that drip and pour as a storm passes through.
What Rockstar has not explained is just as important:
- How often hurricanes happen.
- Whether they are scripted story moments, random events, or both.
- Whether they cause lasting damage or flooding.
- How they affect driving, flying, boats and the police.
Until those answers arrive, be sceptical of videos claiming to show “confirmed” hurricane gameplay mechanics. The confirmed part is that the storms exist and how they look.
GTA 6 wildlife: more than 170 animal species
For comparison, Red Dead Redemption 2 was famous for roughly 200 species spread across an entire frontier. GTA 6 gets close to that number in a modern setting.
| Group | What is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Birds | More than 60 kinds, including flamingos and pelicans |
| Land mammals | More than 30, including armadillos, feral cats and rhesus macaques |
| Reptiles and amphibians | Alligators, iguanas, turtles, cane toads |
| Marine life | Manatees, several kinds of shark, whales, rays, jellyfish |
The level of detail is unusual. Animal coats react to the environment: fur soaks through in the rain and mats or clumps when an animal gets dirty. Some species show iridescence, bioluminescence or translucency.
Rare, Discoverable and Legendary animals
Some animals are sorted into three special categories: Rare, Discoverable and Legendary. Rockstar is keeping their identities secret. It looks like an evolution of the animal-tracking systems from Red Dead Redemption 2, although Rockstar has not said whether hunting is a full activity in GTA 6 or what you get for finding a Legendary animal.
Expect these to become one of the big collectible hunts at launch. If you like tracking things down on a map, try our interactive GTA 5 map, which pins the collectibles and stunt jumps of Los Santos and Blaine County.
A map about twice the size of GTA 5
Weather and wildlife need room, and Leonida has it. Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut told Game Informer the map is about twice the size of Grand Theft Auto V’s, and also denser, more detailed and more interactive, with far more interiors.
The six main regions are:
- Vice City
- Leonida Keys
- Grassrivers
- Port Gellhorn
- Ambrosia
- Mount Kalaga National Park
Rockstar’s Paul MacPherson, who oversees environment art, said the team studied northern Florida, including Panama City, Jacksonville and Ocala, for the rural areas. The result is a spread of swamps, beaches, industrial zones, farms and ranches, each with its own conditions and animals. We have separate guides to the Leonida Keys and to GTA 6’s enterable interiors.
Why the GTA 6 weather system matters for gameplay
None of this is only decoration. Because the weather can soak one region while the next stays dry, a storm could change the route you take out of a robbery, and simulated wind should matter to anything that flies. Rockstar has not detailed those effects yet, but the ingredients are there. A wildlife system with rare animals also gives you a reason to visit the swamp at dawn instead of driving straight past it.
It also answers a common criticism of GTA 5, whose countryside looked spectacular but gave players relatively little to do. For more on the systems shown so far, read our GTA 6 gameplay breakdown.
FAQ
Are there hurricanes in GTA 6?
Yes. Game Informer’s cover story confirms that the GTA 6 weather system includes tropical storms and hurricanes. Their frequency and gameplay effects have not been detailed.
How many animals are in GTA 6?
More than 170 species, including over 60 kinds of birds and over 30 land mammals, plus reptiles, fish and other marine life.
Are there legendary animals in GTA 6?
Yes. Certain animals are classed as Rare, Discoverable or Legendary, but Rockstar has not revealed which ones.
Is the GTA 6 map bigger than GTA 5?
Yes. According to Rockstar North’s Aaron Garbut, Leonida is about twice the size of GTA 5’s map and considerably denser.
Can you hunt animals in GTA 6?
Rockstar has not confirmed a hunting activity. The animal categories suggest tracking and discovery will play a role, but the details are unknown.
Sources
- Game Informer — Grand Theft Auto VI cover story (September 29, 2026)
- Rockstar Games — Grand Theft Auto VI official site
