GTA 6 map officially twice as large as GTA 5, features hurricanes and tropical storms

Grant Theft Auto 6’s map is twice the size of GTA 5’s and will feature advanced weather systems like tropical storms and hurricanes.

That’s according to a new preview featured in the latest issue of Game Informer, which shares new details on, among other things, GTA 6’s weather systems, which it says will “ achieve a sense of scale we haven’t felt before”.

According to Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature a more dynamic and localized weather system in Leonida (the game’s fictional version of Florida), allowing different areas of the map to experience dramatically different conditions at the same time.

Players may be able to stand beneath clear skies in one part of Leonida while watching heavy rain fall just a short distance away, it claims. The system is said to be designed to reflect the unpredictable weather commonly experienced in Florida, where intense rain showers can occur alongside bright sunshine.

“We have re-engineered our weather system to make everything much more localized and persistent, and really wanted the world to feel dynamically solid and achieve a sense of scale we haven’t felt before,” Owen Shepherd, vice president of art for lighting and rendering at Rockstar, told Game Informer.

“The world features new fully dynamic cloudscapes that roll across the map, these give us a broad spectrum of weather from the clear blue skies of a Miami winter to the vertiginous cumulonimbus clouds with sporadic lightning that you see most afternoons in the Floridian summer and autumn.”

Rockstar has not revealed how frequently these major weather events will occur or how they may influence gameplay. According to the preview, during severe storms, players can expect water pouring from rooftops and lampposts, while thunder and lightning illuminate the surrounding clouds.

GTA 6’s 6 main regions revealed

According to Rockstar Games‘ head of development/co-studio head Aaron Garbut, Leonida is the biggest map Rockstar has ever created “by some degree”, describing it as twice as large as GTA 5, with more detail.

“This new world is different. We obsessed about every part – the rooftops, the alleys, the internals and everything in between to the point we hit a critical mass with the numbers of our interiors, and you start to feel the buildings are more real inside and out. This world is a cohesive whole with the density of content and a hand-crafted quality to every bit.”

Grand Theft Auto 6’s fictional state of Leonida will be divided into six main regions: Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park, each offering a distinct setting inspired by different parts of Florida.

Vice City serves as the state’s urban center, drawing heavily from Miami with its Art Deco architecture, beaches, and major cruise ship port. Leonida Keys is the game’s take on Florida’s Keys, and Grassrivers draws on the Florida Everglades, featuring a vast wetland environment populated by diverse wildlife.

Port Gellhorn, meanwhile, reflects Florida’s smaller tourist destinations, particularly areas that have fallen into decline, like inexpensive motels and rundown shopping centers.

Rockstar describes Ambrosia as the heart of Leonida and a representation of the state’s industrial side. Factories and refineries dominate the region, while a local biker gang is said to wield significant influence.

Finally, at the northern edge of Leonida lies Mount Kalaga National Park, an area focused on wildlife and natural landscapes. The region also draws inspiration from the culture of the Florida-Georgia border.

According to Rockstar, GTA 6 will feature over 170 animal species, including 60 types of birds, 30 land mammals, and sea creatures such as sharks, whales, and jellyfish.

In terms of activities, the game will include Base jumping, Billiards, Gyms, Kayaking, Mini golf, Scuba diving, Street and off-road racing, Zoos, Air boating, and Jet skiing.