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GTA 6 Game Informer Issue 382: Hurricanes Confirmed, a Map Twice the Size of GTA 5, 170+ Animals

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GTA 6 Game Informer Issue 382: Hurricanes Confirmed, a Map Twice the Size of GTA 5, 170+ Animals

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Published 2026-10-01 · ⏱ 7 min

Game Informer's issue 382 is out, and its 14-page Grand Theft Auto VI cover story has landed — the single biggest information drop since the August 27 Extended Look. It confirms hurricanes, a map roughly twice the size of GTA V, more than 170 animal species, a re-engineered localized weather engine and a long list of side activities — in Rockstar's own words.

The digital edition went live on September 29, 2026, with 12 new screenshots released by Rockstar alongside it. Everything below comes from the cover story's developer interviews, reported by Game Informer and corroborated by IGN and RockstarINTEL — labelled CONFIRMED, LEAKED, SPECULATION or UNKNOWN, as everywhere on GameCity Map.

What the cover story confirmed

  • Hurricanes and tropical storms are in the game — CONFIRMED
  • Leonida is roughly twice the size of GTA V's map, with an emphasis on density, interiors and interaction — CONFIRMED (Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut)
  • A re-engineered weather system that is localized, persistent and dynamic — CONFIRMED (Owen Shepherd, VP of art for lighting and rendering)
  • More than 170 animal species, including over 60 birds and over 30 land mammals — CONFIRMED
  • Twelve new screenshots, released by Rockstar on September 29 — CONFIRMED
  • Release date unchanged: November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S — CONFIRMED

The weather system, in Rockstar's words

Rockstar's VP of art for lighting and rendering, Owen Shepherd, told Game Informer the studio re-engineered its weather system to deliver weather that is localized, persistent and dynamic — an evolution of the Red Dead Redemption 2 approach, not a copy.

In practice, that means:

  • You can stand in sunshine in one part of Leonida and see a storm in the distance — the weather is regional rather than global.
  • Rainbows, persistent puddles and wet surfaces linger after a storm, so you can drive through an area and tell it recently rained even if you were never there for it.
  • Wind is simulated: it ripples water, moves hair, pushes debris, and reacts with buildings to create occlusion and updrafts.

Game Informer's description of a hurricane is vivid: "heavy clouds, strong winds, dense atmospherics, and a lot of rain combine so that everything is dripping wet, water is gushing off roof edges and lampposts, thunder rumbles and flashes of lightning light up the clouds dramatically."

Hurricanes and tropical storms are CONFIRMED. What stays UNKNOWN is how often they occur and whether they can interrupt the story — Rockstar declined to answer both.

Leonida: Rockstar's biggest, densest map

Aaron Garbut, Rockstar North co-studio head, confirmed to Game Informer that GTA VI's map is about twice the size of GTA V's, with far more density, interaction and interiors.

"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."

The story also lays out GTA VI's six regions: Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park. Ambrosia is described as a rural area of factories and refineries controlled by a biker gang distinct from the Lost MC. That matches what our Leonida guide tracks and what the interactive Leonida map plots. Earlier "map size" comparisons that circulated online — like "three times Red Dead Redemption 2" — were ESTIMATE / REPORTED; Garbut's statement is now a direct developer figure.

Wildlife: 170+ species, and tracking returns

Confirmed: more than 170 species, including over 60 birds and over 30 land mammals, plus fish and reptiles. Species named in the coverage include alligators, manatees, flamingos, pelicans, sharks (multiple species), whales, rays, turtles, jellyfish, iguanas and macaques.

  • Animal tracking returns from Red Dead Redemption 2, with animals falling into Rare, Discoverable and Legendary categories. The identities of the rare and legendary animals are UNKNOWN — Rockstar is keeping them secret.
  • Aquatic life behaves distinctly and can be encountered while scuba diving.
  • Fur, feathers and movement received dedicated simulation work.

One screenshot shows Jason approaching deer with a rifle slung over his back. Hunting looks likely to return — but it is not confirmed, so we file it as teased / REPORTED.

Side activities confirmed

Base jumping, billiards, gyms, kayaking, mini golf, scuba diving, street and off-road racing, zoos, air boating and jet skiing. The world also includes ATV trails, mud parks, demolition derbies, mountain biking, motocross, farms, ranches, golf, bass fishing and swamps.

Fast travel — by ride share

GTA VI's fast travel takes the form of a ride-share car: you share the ride with other passengers, who have their own conversations, or you ignore them and "doomscroll" on Snapmatic, the game's social-media parody. You cannot post yourself — Jason and Lucia are on the run, and staying quiet online is precisely the point.

Robberies, cars and heat

Robberies scale with your choices: solo or as a duo, loud or quiet, with the police response adapting to what you do. If either protagonist gets overwhelmed by police, it is game over. High-end cars require special tools to steal and may carry trackers or security systems; a phone app called WAiNK reveals a car's resale value, its security and the cost to make it yours, and stolen cars are offloaded at a fence. Whether Jason and Lucia become more than partners is player choice too — see our characters page.

What is still unknown

  • Release date: unchanged — November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (see the pre-order and editions guide).
  • Hurricane frequency and story impact: UNKNOWN.
  • Rare and legendary animal identities: UNKNOWN.
  • PC version and date: still absent from the launch lineup — see our GTA 6 PC page.
  • Online / multiplayer: GTA VI ships as a single-player game — tracked on our GTA 6 Online page.
  • Print issue: ships to subscribers, bookstores and newsstands "in the coming weeks".

For the world itself, the confirmed detail lives in our confirmed features list, the Vice City guide, the confirmed locations page and the vehicles guide — all indexed from the GTA VI hub.

FAQ

What is the GTA 6 Game Informer cover story?

Game Informer put Grand Theft Auto VI on the cover of issue 382 — a 14-page story built on interviews with senior Rockstar designers. It was revealed on September 25, 2026 and the digital edition went live on September 29, 2026.

Are hurricanes really confirmed for GTA 6?

Yes. Speaking to Game Informer, Rockstar confirmed GTA VI features hurricanes and tropical storms as part of a re-engineered, localized weather system. How often they happen and whether they affect the story is unknown.

How big is GTA 6's map?

Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut told Game Informer the map is about twice the size of GTA V's, with far more density, interaction and interiors. It is Rockstar's biggest and most detailed map to date.

How many animals are in GTA 6?

More than 170 species, including over 60 birds and over 30 land mammals, plus fish and reptiles. Animal tracking returns, and animals fall into Rare, Discoverable and Legendary categories.

Does the cover story change the GTA 6 release date?

No. GTA VI is still confirmed for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The cover story adds detail, not a new date.

Sources

*Not a Rockstar Games or Game Informer publication. GTA and Grand Theft Auto are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive. GameCity Map is independent and unaffiliated.*

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