Will GTA 6 have hurricanes? Yes, plus 170+ animal species
Hurricanes, real wind, 170+ species and legendary animals: Game Informer's cover story shows a far more alive world in GTA 6.
Yes, GTA 6 will have hurricanes. Game Informer's 14-page cover story, out September 29, confirms tropical storms and hurricanes in Leonida, plus more than 170 animal species across land, air and sea, with rare and legendary creatures to track down.
#GTA6 #GTAVI #Leonida #GameInformer
Will GTA 6 have hurricanes? Yes, and they're localized
This is the question people have been typing into Google since the first trailer showed off that Florida sky, and Rockstar has finally answered it. The rebuilt weather system is described as "much more localized and persistent," with "fully dynamic cloudscapes that roll across the map." Translation: you can be cruising under clear skies and hit a wall of rain a few miles down the highway.
Owen Shepard, Rockstar's VP of Art for Lighting and Rendering, paints the full storm picture: "Heavy clouds, strong winds, dense atmospherics, and a lot of rain combine so that everything is dripping wet," with water gushing off roof edges and lampposts while thunder rumbles and lightning lights up the clouds. The range runs from "the clear blue skies of a Miami winter" to towering cumulonimbus with sporadic lightning.
Wind is finally a system, not a filter
The quieter upgrade might matter more minute to minute. Rockstar says hair and debris will swirl on rooftops, gusts will push ripples across the water and bend the swamp grass. The wind model even accounts for offshore breezes after sunset, convection updrafts and buildings blocking gusts. An alley between two towers shouldn't feel like an open beach anymore.
GTA 6 animals list: what Rockstar has confirmed
Game Informer's exclusive puts it plainly: "Leonida will teem with over 170 animal species across land, air, and sea, several of which have never appeared in a Rockstar Game." Here's what's actually been named so far.
| Group | Confirmed examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Native Florida wildlife | Flamingos, manatees, pelicans, alligators | Gives the swamps, Keys and coastline a real identity |
| Invasive species | Green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats, rhesus macaque monkeys | Very Florida. As Game Informer puts it: "Yes, Florida has monkeys." |
| Rare and Discoverable | Not revealed yet | Rewards players who explore off the main roads |
| Legendary | Not revealed yet | The next big community scavenger hunt |
On the tech side, Rockstar is carrying over lessons from Red Dead Redemption: new hair and fur systems for coats and pelts, multiple feather types, plus iridescence, bioluminescence and translucency. Think glowing sea life and birds that catch the light properly, not static props.
GTA 6 animals vs RDR2: how do they compare?
It's the obvious comparison, and the numbers are closer than you might think. Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped with more than 200 species, a figure Rockstar pushed hard back in 2018, and 16 legendary animals to hunt. GTA 6's 170+ is slightly lower on paper, but it's a modern crime sandbox, not a frontier hunting game, and it covers ocean life RDR2 barely touched. The Rare, Discoverable and Legendary tiers make the design intent clear: Rockstar wants you leaving the city.
What we don't know yet is whether GTA 6 lets you hunt or fish at all, or whether these creatures are there purely to be found, photographed or avoided (looking at you, alligators).
Confirmed vs reported vs unknown
- ✅ Confirmed by Game Informer/Rockstar: 170+ species, invasive species, Rare/Discoverable/Legendary tiers, tropical storms and hurricanes, dynamic wind, dynamic cloudscapes.
- 📰 Reported by multiple outlets from the feature (Consequence, IBTimes): a map roughly twice the size of GTA 5's. Treat it as a ballpark until we can drive it ourselves.
- ❓ Still unknown: how often hurricanes hit, whether they flood roads or change missions, which animals are legendary, and whether hunting or fishing exists.
Also this week: Jason and Lucia open up in LOVE Magazine
LOVE Magazine's Issue 27 added new screenshots and a Rockstar interview. Writer Elizabeth Gauvey-Kern says the team wanted both leads to be "vulnerable, tough, flawed, right sometimes, wrong sometimes, able to learn from each other." Lucia is framed as the one forcing her way to a better life, while Jason tends to react to things outside his control. SVP of Narrative Rupert Humphries describes a Bonnie and Clyde story in a world where "extreme wealth and relentless ambition collide."
Our take
Fans wanted Trailer 3; Rockstar handed over an ecosystem instead, and that tells us more about how the game will play. Hurricanes are the big promise. In Florida they're part of life, and if they end up as a fancy weather filter, that's a missed opportunity. The legendary animal tier is the kind of system that keeps a game alive for years, the way RDR2 players were still trading tips long after launch. Our one caution: until Rockstar shows a storm actually changing a getaway or a mission, file hurricane gameplay under "promising" rather than "proven." Either way, Leonida is shaping up to be far livelier than Los Santos, which lines up with our breakdown of the 7 biggest upgrades from GTA 5 to GTA 6.
Want those storms to look their best? Check our GTA 6 PS5 vs PS5 Pro comparison, and if you still haven't locked in an edition, our GTA 6 pre-order guide breaks down every option.
FAQ
Will GTA 6 have hurricanes and flooding?
Hurricanes and tropical storms are confirmed. Rockstar hasn't said whether storms cause flooding or affect gameplay beyond visuals and wind.
How many animals are in GTA 6?
Over 170 species across land, air and sea, according to Game Informer, including some never seen in a Rockstar game and hidden rare and legendary animals.
When does GTA 6 come out?
November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There's no PC date yet.
Which creature are you betting turns out to be legendary? Drop your guess in the comments, and pass this along to the friend who spent 100 hours hunting in RDR2. And if you're feeling lucky, we're giving away 2 copies of GTA 6 on the GTA6 Radar Discord until November 19.
Sources
- Game Informer – Exclusive: GTA VI includes over 170 animal species
- Game Informer – The GTA VI digital issue is now live
- Kotaku – GTA 6 will include over 170 species of animals as well as hurricanes
- Consequence – GTA 6 weather system details
- IBTimes UK – GTA 6 weather, wildlife and Leonida details
- VICE – New GTA 6 screenshots reveal more about Jason and Lucia
🛒 Get ready for November 19
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