Game Informer reveals GTA 6 technical details including dynamic weather, 170+ species and expansive Leonida map
Game Informer published new details and screenshots of Grand Theft Auto VI on September 30, 2026, disclosing features including an advanced weather system and expanded wildlife. The outlet said the game’s Leonida setting will be Rockstar’s most immersive open world yet.
The report outlines multiple systems upgraded for GTA 6, with Game Informer highlighting dynamic weather technology, wildlife numbering more than 170 species, broader NPC variation and a deliberately crafted open world. Game Informer also released a set of new screenshots illustrating the environments and effects described in the article.
Game Informer described the weather system as more advanced than previous entries, citing offshore breezes after sunset, convection updrafts and wind occlusion that let buildings block and redirect airflow. The write-up says wind will affect characters’ hair, send debris across rooftops and create ripples on lakes and other water, and that the game will include storms and hurricanes featuring heavy rainfall, powerful winds, dark storm clouds, lightning and thunder. The report adds that water will trickle off the roofs and streetlights and that wet areas will respond to weather.
Wildlife receives a substantial upgrade, with GTA VI said to include more than 170 animal species overall. Game Informer specifies over 60 bird species, 30 land mammals and numerous fish and reptiles, and names confirmed animals including alligators, flamingos, pelicans and manatees. The article notes several species native to Leonida that have never appeared in previous games.
NPCs are described as undergoing a major overhaul in physical and cosmetic detail, with citizens showing greater physical diversity in different heights, body shapes, musculature and localized weight distribution across different body parts. Skin is said to feature freckles, moles and tanning, while hairstyles and grooming options will offer a broader selection of ethnic styles; tattoos will be used to accurately depict Leonida’s cultures and communities.
The Leonida map is presented as the largest ever created for the Grand Theft Auto franchise, with Game Informer reporting it is roughly twice the size of GTA 5’s map while also being denser and more interactive. The piece states the world will include significantly more handcrafted detail and that developers considered the environment inside and out — in alleyways, as spaces between locations and on rooftops — producing a single, seamless world rather than “separate parts and pieces.”
Rockstar has scheduled GTA 6 for release on November 19, 2026. For further updates the article directs readers to follow Khel Now Gaming on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App, or join its communities on Telegram & Whatsapp.