Grand Theft Auto VI is the cover story for the latest issue of Game Informer, with a 14-page feature containing exclusive Rockstar Games interviews, 12 new screenshots and previously undisclosed details about Leonida. Senior associate editor Marcus Stewart spoke with several lead designers at Rockstar, with the feature focusing heavily on how the studio built its fictionalized version of Florida. The digital issue will be available September 29, while print copies are beginning to reach subscribers and stores.
One of the new details concerns GTA VI’s weather systems. Game Informer says Rockstar discussed advanced weather simulation designed to reproduce some of Florida’s less sunny conditions rather than relying only on the bright tropical imagery commonly associated with Vice City. The cover story does not simply frame Leonida as a larger Vice City map, instead emphasizing the studio’s effort to model the broader environmental character of the state.
Wildlife is another major part of that approach. According to the cover reveal, Leonida contains what Game Informer describes as a substantial amount of wildlife spread across land, air and sea, including both native and non-native species. Rockstar has shown animals in earlier promotional material, but the new interviews indicate that wildlife is being treated as a wider part of the open-world simulation rather than occasional environmental dressing.
Rockstar also discussed its research process for Miami and Florida. The studio reportedly carried out extensive work to make Leonida culturally and visually convincing, with Game Informer focusing on how closely the fictional state reflects the real places that inspired it. That attention to regional detail follows Rockstar’s broader approach to building a dense open world around Vice City and the surrounding areas.
The 12 exclusive screenshots included with the feature show additional locations and citizens from GTA VI. Game Informer has not published the full set online yet, meaning the images remain tied to the magazine issue for now. The new cover artwork was created by Rockstar and features protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.
The feature arrives after Rockstar provided a much more substantial look at GTA VI through its August Extended Look presentation. That presentation revealed story missions, activities and more of the world, while Rockstar has also continued filling in surrounding details such as the next evolution of GTA VI’s in-game radio and its dynamic score. The Game Informer story appears to build on that material by focusing specifically on the world simulation and how Leonida was constructed.
GTA VI’s broader marketing campaign has accelerated significantly in recent months. Rockstar has opened preorders, revealed multiple editions and announced additional merchandise, including the Goodtime State – Vice City Collection. The company has also confirmed a 34-track Grand Theft Auto VI album scheduled to arrive alongside the game.
Game Informer’s cover reveal is notable because it includes direct access to Rockstar developers rather than relying on trailers or promotional descriptions alone. That gives the magazine an opportunity to explain design goals behind systems that may be difficult to communicate through short video clips, particularly weather, wildlife behavior and environmental research. The 14-page feature is therefore one of the more substantial editorial deep dives into GTA VI released ahead of launch.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Game Informer’s digital version of the GTA VI issue will be available on September 29, with the print edition arriving in subscriber mailboxes and on newsstands over the following weeks. More details from the full feature are likely to emerge once the issue becomes widely available.
