10 things we just learned about GTA 6 from Game Informer

Game Informer's latest issue dropped a wave of new GTA 6 details — story setup, map size, region breakdowns, weather systems, and more. It's the most concrete look yet at how Rockstar's open world is shaping up ahead of the game's release.

The story kicks off with Jason, since Lucia is still behind bars when the game starts. Once she's out, the two team up for what's supposed to be a simple score — both want a better, wealthier life — but things go sideways and a mystery stretching across all of Leonida unfolds. Jason's arc begins in Leonida Quays, doing smaller jobs, while Lucia is originally from Liberty City and ended up in prison over something tied to her family. The map itself is confirmed to be twice the size of GTA 5 — the largest Rockstar has ever built by "some degree" — split into six regions: Vice City (the Miami stand-in and likely your main stomping ground), Leonida Quays, Grassrivers (the Everglades equivalent), Port Gellhorn (small Florida tourist-trap towns), Ambrosia (the industrial heartland, full of factories and distilleries), and Mount Kalaga National Park (off-road events, wealthier neighborhoods). A rideshare app called RydeMe lets you hop in, chat with NPCs, and listen to music while getting around — a major expansion of GTA 4's cab mechanic.

Rockstar is going deep on environmental simulation. Weather is dynamic and localized — flying a plane, you'll see a thunderstorm on one horizon and clear skies on another, both happening simultaneously. Rain leaves puddles, wet pavement, and even wet NPC hair. Wind has been overhauled beyond Red Dead Redemption 2's already impressive system, affecting clothes, hair, loose objects, and water surfaces in real time. Hurricanes are a separate system entirely: gutters can overflow, routes may become impassable, and strong gusts could affect driving. The wildlife roster hits over 170 species — 60 birds, more than 30 land mammals among them — which suggests the world is built to feel genuinely alive outside of the story missions.

This level of detail puts GTA 6 in a different league from anything Rockstar has shipped before, and the community is already dissecting every region name and weather mechanic. No new release date was confirmed alongside these details, but the sheer scope of what's been described makes it clear Rockstar isn't rushing to the finish line.