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GTA 6 Reveals Hurricanes, Six Regions and 170 Animal Species
Rockstar has confirmed that GTA 6 will feature hurricanes, a map twice the size of GTA 5's with six distinct regions, a fast travel system with ride sharing, and more than 170 animal species, as new details emerge from Game Informer's extensive coverage.
By Eleanor Ellington · 5 min read
Rockstar Games has confirmed that hurricanes will feature in GTA 6, one of the most speculated elements of the forthcoming title, alongside a map twice the size of its predecessor and a wildlife system encompassing more than 170 animal species. The details emerged from an extensive new preview published by Game Informer, which also revealed a re-engineered weather system, six distinct regions within the fictional state of Leonida, and a fast travel mechanic built around ride sharing.
The confirmation of hurricanes answers a question that has circulated among players since the game was first announced. Rockstar told Game Informer that the storms will appear in the game but declined to specify how frequently they will occur or whether they will affect the storyline. The studio described the visual treatment of a hurricane as heavy clouds, strong winds, dense atmospherics and a lot of rain combining so that everything is dripping wet, water gushes off roof edges and lampposts, thunder rumbles and flashes of lightning light up the clouds dramatically.
Behind those set pieces is a weather system that Rockstar has rebuilt from the ground up. Owen Shepherd, the company's vice president of art for lighting and rendering, said the studio re-engineered the technology to allow for localized, persistent and dynamic weather. A player standing in sunshine in one part of the map will be able to see a rainstorm in the distance, and can later travel through an area and deduce from rainbows and puddles that it rained there while they were elsewhere. Wind will create ripples on water, move hair and push debris across the world.
The scale of the environment is equally significant. Aaron Garbut, co-studio head at Rockstar North, confirmed that the map is twice as big as the one in GTA 5, with an emphasis on density rather than empty space. The setting is a fictionalized version of Florida called Leonida. Garbut said the team obsessed over every part of the world, from rooftops and alleys to building interiors, until the number of accessible interiors reached a critical mass that makes buildings feel real inside and out. He described the result as a cohesive whole with the density of content and a hand-crafted quality to every bit.
Leonida is divided into six unique regions. Vice City is the most prominent, familiar to players from the 2002 title GTA: Vice City. The others are the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park. Ambrosia is a more rural area dominated by factories and refineries, and is controlled by a biker gang that appears to be distinct from the Lost MC, which featured heavily in GTA 4 and GTA 5.
Rockstar intends the story to guide players across this expanded map, showing off the contrasts between the affluent parts of Leonida and its poorer areas. The narrative will not cover every corner of the world, but it will demonstrate the range of environments on offer.
For players who want to move around more quickly, GTA 6 will include a fast travel system. Rather than hailing a cab as in previous entries, players will be able to use a ride share car. The mechanic carries a twist: ride sharing means sharing, so players can travel alongside other passengers and take part in unique conversations. Those who prefer to avoid small talk can instead scroll through Snapmatic, the game's parody of Instagram. Players will not be able to post on the app themselves, because the protagonists Jason and Lucia are on the run and would put themselves at risk by being overly active on social media.
The game will also offer a wide range of side activities. Confirmed so far are base jumping, billiards, gyms, kayaking, mini golf, scuba diving, street and off-road racing, zoos, air boating and jet skiing.
Wildlife forms a major part of the world-building. More than 170 animal species will populate Leonida, including over 60 types of bird, more than 30 land mammals, and a variety of fish and reptiles. The extended gameplay reveal in August confirmed that players will be able to pet dogs, and the feature is expected to extend to other animals such as cats, as it did in Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar said Florida's diverse animal ecosystem was something it wanted to faithfully include across the different biomes of Leonida, both urban and rural.
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