GTA VI reveals biggest world yet: Hurricanes, fast travel, 170+ animals and more

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Rockstar Games has lifted the curtain on a substantial new batch of Grand Theft Auto VI details, outlining a version of Leonida designed to be bigger, denser, and far more reactive than anything the studio has made before.

The new information, shared through Game Informer coverage and reported by IGN, touches on everything from hurricanes and persistent weather to animal tracking, ride-share fast travel, robberies, social media, and a world reportedly twice the size of GTA V’s map.

Leonida will be Rockstar’s biggest map yet

According to Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut, GTA VI’s map will be roughly twice as large as Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Santos and Blaine County, though scale is only part of the plan.

Rockstar is placing a heavy focus on density, with more enterable interiors, rooftops, alleys, and hand-crafted spaces intended to make Leonida feel like one connected world rather than a collection of locations.

The map will be split across six regions:

• Vice City
• Leonida Keys
• Grassrivers
• Port Gellhorn
• Ambrosia
• Mount Kalaga National Park

Ambrosia, in particular, is said to feature factories, refineries, and a biker gang that controls the area — suggesting each region may have its own identity, economy, and potential threats.

Hurricanes and persistent weather are coming to GTA VI

Rockstar has reworked its weather system to support localised and persistent conditions, meaning players may see a storm rolling in from a distance while standing in sunshine elsewhere on the map. Rain is expected to leave visible evidence after it has passed, including puddles, dripping buildings, and water running from rooftops.

Wind will also affect the environment, creating ripples on water, moving debris, and blowing characters’ hair. Rockstar has additionally confirmed rainbows, giving Leonida a level of environmental detail that goes well beyond a simple day-and-night cycle.

Ride-sharing brings a new fast-travel option

Players will reportedly be able to call ride-share vehicles to travel around the map. However, it will not always be a private journey: other passengers can join the ride, creating opportunities for ambient conversations and character moments along the way.

Jason and Lucia can also spend the time scrolling Snapmatic, GTA’s parody version of Instagram. They will not be able to post themselves, though, as their position as fugitives makes public social-media activity too risky.

Over 170 animal species will populate the world

Leonida’s wildlife is set to be one of the game’s largest systemic additions. Rockstar says GTA VI will include more than 170 animal species, including over 60 bird types, more than 30 land mammals, plus fish and reptiles across the state’s urban, rural, wetland, inland, and ocean environments.

Players can expect sharks, jellyfish, whales, turtles, and rays in the water, with distinct movement behaviours for marine life. Scuba diving will offer one way to encounter these animals directly.

Animal tracking and rare animal types are also returning, echoing systems seen in Red Dead Redemption 2. A screenshot reportedly showing Jason approaching deer with a rifle further hints that hunting may have a larger role than it did in Grand Theft Auto V.

Side activities range from scuba diving to mini golf

Rockstar is packing Leonida with optional activities beyond missions and criminal pursuits. Confirmed activities include:

• Base jumping
• Billiards
• Gym visits
• Kayaking
• Mini golf
• Scuba diving
• Street and off-road racing
• Zoo visits
• Air boating
• Jet skiing

The sheer range points to a world built to support downtime as much as mayhem — and potentially gives players plenty of reasons to explore each corner of the map.

Robberies, car theft and police chases will offer more choice

Crime remains central to the Grand Theft Auto V (GTA) formula, but Rockstar is reportedly giving players more control over how they approach it.

Robberies can be handled alone or with both protagonists, quietly or loudly, with each choice influencing how aggressively police respond. Jason and Lucia can also choose to flee together or split up, although either protagonist getting overwhelmed by police will still result in a game over.

Carjacking is being expanded as well. High-end vehicles may require specialist tools to steal and could come fitted with trackers or security systems. Players can reportedly use an app called WAiNK to assess a vehicle’s resale value, security, and customisation cost before deciding whether to keep it or sell it through a fence.

Jason and Lucia’s relationship can change with player choice

The relationship between Jason and Lucia will not be entirely fixed. Rockstar says players can influence whether their connection remains platonic or develops romantically through dates, calls, messages, and smaller interactions such as holding hands or opening doors.

Those choices will also extend beyond the relationship itself. Rockstar has confirmed that decisions both large and small can shape story outcomes, encouraging repeat playthroughs to see different narrative paths.

GTA VI is raising expectations even further

With a massive map, a redesigned weather system, detailed NPC variety, deep customisation, and a long list of open-world activities, Rockstar appears determined to make Grand Theft Auto VI feel like a major leap forward for the series.

The studio has acknowledged the enormous expectations surrounding the game and says it is aiming to “overdeliver” on scope, density, interaction, and detail. Based on these latest revelations, Leonida is shaping up to be Rockstar’s most ambitious Playground yet.

GTA V's viewership remains stable despite anticipation for next instalment

While attention around Grand Theft Auto VI continues to build, GTA V has remained a remarkably steady force on livestreaming platforms. According to Streams Charts data, viewership for Rockstar’s long-running hit has stayed resilient even as each new GTA VI reveal drives another wave of conversation around the franchise’s future.

  GTA V’s numbers on the top three livestreaming platforms have remained consistent this year   

The game's watch time and average viewership this year (January to September 29) have remained remarkably similar to what we saw in 2025 on Twitch. It's been even better on Kick and CHZZK, where the hype for GTA VI and the growth of roleplaying servers has helped make it one of the platform's top categories.

In fact, Grand Theft Auto's Kick viewership has grown to such an extent that a recent Streams Charts report analyzed that Kick has overtaken Twitch in viewership for GTA V. Longer airtime appears to be one factor behind Kick's lead, alongside the fact that some creators also moved their GTA V activity directly from Twitch to Kick.

That staying power reflects the scale of Grand Theft Auto V’s creator ecosystem. RP servers, challenge runs, multiplayer sessions, and the game’s reliably watchable chaos continue to give streamers — and viewers — a reason to return. Rather than being displaced by anticipation for the sequel, GTA V appears to be benefiting from it: the wait for Leonida is also keeping Los Santos firmly in the spotlight.