GTA 6: Everything the New Screenshots Tell Us

A huge amount of new GTA 6 information has arrived in the world courtesy of the latest issue of Game Informer. The magazine’s new cover story has revealed over 20 major new details, including how the world simulates tropical storms and some of the many animals that call Leonida home.

Arriving alongside all this new information is 12 brand new screenshots, provided by Rockstar for Game Informer’s exclusive coverage. That exclusivity means we can’t post them here on IGN, but we would like to talk about them, because many of them tell a deeper story about Grand Theft Auto 6. Across the dozen images, we can see many of the newly-revealed features in action, and the scenarios depicted point to gameplay functions that may well be present in the full game.

Jason vs. First Chapter

These new screenshots reintroduce us to the First Chapter, a Leonida motorcycle gang. Game Informer’s cover story explains that the Ambrosia region of the map is home to a “local biker gang calling the shots”, and it very much looks like we’ll be butting heads with them – we can see Jason making a hasty getaway from a few armed gang members.

The First Chapter likely operates all over Ambrosia, but it seems like The Thirsty Wolf is one of their local hang outs. These screenshots show the bar’s wooden interior, as well as what may well be its interior. Rockstar Games’ head of development/co-studio head, Aaron Garbut, told Game Informer that “the buildings are more real inside and out”, and this bar certainly has every authentic detail you’d expect, from the beer to the pool table to the neon lights promoting its titillating entertainment.

We’ve seen the First Chapter’s uniform before, which includes a badge that seems to denote the biker’s rank – in these latest screenshots, the most prominent biker is a Sergeant-at-Arms. This marks him as the club’s primary enforcer, and so there’s a good chance it’s this guy that Jason has pissed off.

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

Look closely at the Sergeant-at-Arms and you’ll find a couple of very cool details. The first is, of course, his tattoos, which are classic biker designs. Rockstar’s vice president of dynamic art, Michael Kane, told Game Informer that the team “paid a crazy amount of attention” to ensuring the tattoos of each of the world’s communities felt culturally correct. And since we know we can go to a tattoo parlor to get ink of our own, it’s likely that at least some of the designs we’ve seen can be applied to Jason and Lucia’s skin.

But we’ve had tattoos in GTA before. What we’ve not seen before is sunburn. The Sergeant’s face is burned pink from being out in the sun, but the space around his eyes remains untouched thanks to his sunglasses. I wouldn’t take this as a sign that you need to regularly apply SPF in-game, but it certainly shows the wild level of detail Rockstar’s artists are applying to each character. The woman standing behind him has a freckled face, and the studio has confirmed that skin features like tanning and moles will also be represented.

We already know that GTA 6 is set to feature the widest array of body types the series has ever had, and a new screenshot taken on Vice City’s beach showcases this perfectly. Both Jason and Lucia are notably toned, likely as a result of heading to the gym, which can improve muscle definition. But Rockstar revealed to Game Informer that characters will have localised weight gain, meaning they can carry fat on their chest, stomach, and even butts.

That would explain why there’s someone on the beach taking a photo of their friend’s arse. There’s a cake for every kind of person, apparently, so why not stick it on social media?

Keeping Busy

Talking of social media, that same beach screenshot shows both a sunbathing woman and Jason scrolling on their phone. We’ve known since GTA 6’s very first TikTok-filled trailer that online communities would be part of the world, and Game Informer has confirmed that Snapmatic is back, which will presumably present a feed filled with cheeks. Just remember, you can only scroll, not post yourself – as criminals, Jason and Lucia are looking to maintain a low profile.

Just because we can’t post doesn’t mean we can’t take photos, though, and aside from the bizarre beach photo shoot, these new screenshots also show a man using an SLR-style camera in Mount Kalaga National Park. Previous GTA games have let us use a camera for both reconnaissance and photography, so that may make a return here.

That same screenshot shows Jason and Lucia going for a run through the park, suggesting a couples 5k could be on the cards for casual dates. They’re both dressed in athleisure wear – is this just a case of a well-costumed screenshot, or is there perhaps a wardrobe system for pre-preparing appropriate outfits for different activities?

Regardless of if you have to manually go to a wardrobe to dress or if there’s an automatic system, the world’s clothing has been painstakingly created to reflect Florida’s local culture and fashion trends. “We’ve been able to really go hard on that with creating the biggest range of garments and accessories we’ve ever made – supported with rich, realistic materials,” Kane told Game Informer.

Across GTA 6’s many trailers, we’ve already seen a plethora of different activities we’ll be able to participate in, including base jumping, air boating, kayaking, and the gym. Game Informer’s article also confirms mini golf, scuba diving, going to the zoo, and billiards — the latter of which can be seen in the biker bar screenshot. Just don’t let the staff distract you from potting the right ball.

In Your Crosshairs

Another activity we’ll be able to take part in is hunting. Rockstar had already confirmed that fishing is possible, although we don’t know the full extent of the system yet. The latest screenshot of the Everglades-like Grassrivers region features a wooden cage for catching crabs and lobsters – is this just set dressing, or an indication that the fishing could be deeper than just casting a line?

The two fellas in that same screenshot are holding out against some incoming alligators, which is a pretty unconventional way of hunting. Hunting is a side activity in GTA 6, though, and we can see what looks like a more conventional version of it in the screenshot featuring Jason, a rifle, and a couple of deer. This type of game hunting is lifted from Red Dead Redemption 2, but it will likely have been modernised for GTA’s 21st century setting. For example, Jason’s wearing olive green attire – perhaps wearing colours that help you blend into your environment will keep you concealed from your prey?

Jason’s rifle has also been kitted out with an autumnal woodland camo pattern. Previous screenshots have showcased weapon skins and modifications, but these latest images continue to demonstrate the breadth of what’s available. Similarly, a new screenshot shows Lucia holding an M4 assault rifle fitted with a silencer, red-dot scope, and forward grip – it seems like the weapon modification options will rival those seen in big first-person shooters.

Feathered and Furry Friends

While that M4 will come in handy when hunting humans, the big game stalking side activity will naturally target animals. Game Informer’s article reveals that the creatures you’ll be assigned to track will be divided into three categories: rare, discoverable, and legendary. Presumably these will be special breeds, rather than the generic species you can find all over the world.

Rockstar revealed to Game Informer that there are 170 species of animal, including over 60 birds and 30 land mammals. We see a number of them across the new screenshots, including domestic dogs, alligators, buck and doe deers, ducks, and seagulls. In the screenshot of Jason fleeing The Thirsty Wolf, we can even see two pigeons picking through trash, an indicator that each animal species may display recognisable real-world behaviour.

Whipping Up a Storm

Perhaps the biggest reveal of the Game Informer article is the news that GTA 6 will feature incredibly detailed dynamic weather. Owen Shepherd, Rockstar’s vice president of art for lighting and rendering, explained that there will be fully dynamic cloudscapes, allowing for a broad spectrum of weather conditions. Regions will have localised rain showers, and Florida’s famous stormy skies will be replicated. We can see such an event happening in one of the screenshots, which shows a plane flying towards thick grey clouds peppered with lightning strikes.

Rockstar hasn’t just focused on the big, dramatic weather, though. Rain will leave a layer of water across surfaces that remains after the storm passes. The puddles we can see on the floor in the screenshot of The Thirsty Wolf were likely left by one of those dynamic rain showers.

It’s Like Real Life, but Video Games

One of Game Informer’s least exciting new screenshots shows a plane flying over a set of trees. But while that may be a little dull on the surface, dig into the details and you can really see the developer’s ambition on show.

To begin with, this image shows an orange grove – the parked pickup reveals it’s called Tucker’s Citrus Farms. Along the line of orange trees we can see workers using tools to harvest the oranges and pack them into crates.

There was surely absolutely no need for Rockstar to have created a simulated citrus farm (although if Jason and Lucia embark on a marmalade raid, I’ll eat my words). But the studio has done so in pursuit of creating an authentic representation of its inspiration state. Tucker’s is located on the Leonida-Gloriana line, GTA’s version of the Florida-Georgia line, and will likely play a part in creating an appropriate atmosphere for this more “country” area of Leonida. It’s clear Rockstar values that authentic world as much as any gameplay feature.

There’s more detail in this screenshot, though: the overhead plane has kicked up a dust storm. We can see a worker coughing, and another having dropped to their hands and knees to avoid breathing in the particles. This suggests a wild level of simulation, one where passing aircraft can disrupt vegetation to create particle clouds that cause NPCs to react in ways that make it appear that a bunch of polygons has a respiratory system. Maybe that’s an illusion painted by a nicely arranged screenshot, but considering so many of these images seem designed to showcase features that Rockstar have discussed, I wouldn’t be surprised if the simulation really is this deep.

We’ve still got much to learn, and it won’t be until we play GTA 6 ourselves that we’ll know if everything these screenshots suggest are reality. But until then, what did you spot in these new screenshots? And what newly-revealed features are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.