New GTA 6 details put hurricanes, local storms and more than 170 animal species at the heart of Leonida. Game Informer’s September 29 cover story looks beyond the skyline to explain how Rockstar is building the state around Vice City.
The 14-page feature includes developer interviews and 12 new screenshots. Game Informer also offers the complete story free through its app. Its magazine cover first appeared on September 25, but the feature arrived four days later. That gives fans a closer look at the world, rather than another short trailer to pick apart.
While Rockstar’s real-world marketing puts Vice City in front of everyone, these details focus on what happens away from the billboards. The strongest example is surprisingly simple: rain will not have to cover the whole area around you.
We've partnered with @gameinformer to make today's Grand Theft Auto VI cover story free in the Game Informer app.
Read now, and subscribe to the print edition today to receive it as your first issue: https://t.co/nFumDNxN7O pic.twitter.com/kTBd8UJtbJ
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) September 29, 2026
This is a free magazine feature, not a GTA 6 demo or a game download. By comparison, IO Interactive’s 007 First Light teaser concerns free DLC, although its October 1 message only sets a date to hear more. Both are worth reading closely before expecting something playable.
GTA 6 details show weather changing across Leonida
According to Game Informer’s weather report, you can stand in sunshine while watching a storm nearby. Travel toward it, and you reach the area where the rain is actually falling. The clouds are not just a distant background effect.
Rain also leaves a mark after the clouds move on. Puddles and wet surfaces remain, while the right lighting can produce a rainbow after a shower. As a result, arriving after a storm should look different from arriving before it.
All 12 new #GTAVI screenshots via @gameinformer [4K Showcase] pic.twitter.com/XkXHqvYwTw
— ben (@videotech) September 29, 2026
Tropical storms and seasonal hurricanes are part of the weather system too. However, the report does not explain how often they happen or how they affect missions. There is no reason to turn that confirmation into promises of destroyed buildings or forced evacuations.
More than 170 species give the state another layer
The wildlife breakdown confirms over 170 species across land, water and sky. Flamingos, pelicans, manatees and alligators are among them. Rockstar is also including invasive animals such as green iguanas and feral cats, rather than filling every area with the same familiar wildlife.
Players can track animals across Rare, Discoverable and Legendary categories. However, the preview leaves the identities of those special animals unnamed. It confirms something to search for, not a complete hunting guide or a list of rewards.
New GTA VI details via @GameInformer:
▫️ Largest map in Rockstar history; approximately twice the size of GTA V.
▫️ The map will also be noticeably denser, more detailed, and more interactive.
▫️ Weather system has been significantly improved
▫️ Dynamic wind system: Hair and… pic.twitter.com/C7vy0bNMR5
— KAMI (@Okami13_) September 29, 2026
For us, that is the more interesting part of this reveal. A map’s size tells you how much ground there is. Local weather and varied wildlife could give you reasons to notice that ground instead of simply crossing it.
That promise still needs to hold up during play. But a sunny road leading into a visible storm is an easier idea to understand than another claim about scale. It suggests the same journey could feel different the next time you take it.
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