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Nov 19
Lucia firing at a chasing police car from the back of Jason's dirt bike, a police helicopter and a Ferris wheel behind
Image: Rockstar Games

Gameplay Checked

An Extended Look

Rockstar's first substantial gameplay showcase: roughly 26 minutes premiered on Netflix, then published to YouTube about six hours later. Rockstar states the footage was captured in-engine on a PlayStation 5. Below is every feature Rockstar actually put on screen (13 of them), what Rockstar has told Game Informer since, and what is still unanswered.

Premiered

August 27, 2026

Runtime

~26 minutes

Captured on

PS5, in-engine

Status

Official

Shown on screen

All 13 items Official

Combat

  • Official Cover-based shootouts with both Jason and Lucia
  • Official Slow-motion aiming that highlights weak points on enemies, letting you choose to kill or incapacitate
  • Official Weapons picked up from the environment mid-fight
  • Official The series' weapon wheel returns

Vehicles & crime

  • Official Layered car theft: walk up to a car and choose to smash the window or use a slim jim
  • Official More break-in options open up with better tools and progression
  • Official Police chases and robberies shown in full
  • Official Racing on a proper circuit

Life in Leonida

  • Official Character switching between Jason and Lucia
  • Official Basketball as a playable activity - back for the first time since San Andreas
  • Official SCUBA diving
  • Official Fanboats through the wetlands, plus canoes and jetskis
  • Official NPC interactions and everyday-life moments across the state

Since the showcase: Game Informer

September 29, 2026 · Reported

Game Informer's 14-page GTA VI cover story (issue 382) went live on September 29 with 12 new screenshots and interviews with Rockstar developers. Rockstar promoted it and made the issue free in the Game Informer app. These are Rockstar's words to a magazine, not Rockstar's own announcements, so they are tagged reported and attributed.

  • Reported Leonida is about twice the size of GTA V's map, and denser, with a lot more interiorsAaron Garbut, Rockstar North
  • Reported Over 170 animal species across land, air and sea, including flamingos, manatees, pelicans and alligators, plus invasive species such as green iguanas and rhesus macaquesGame Informer exclusive
  • Reported Some animals are grouped as Rare, Discoverable or Legendary; which ones is not disclosedGame Informer exclusive
  • Reported Localized, persistent weather: storms you can watch from somewhere dry, puddles that stay after rain, rainbows in the right lightGame Informer exclusive
  • Reported Tropical storms and seasonal hurricanes. Game Informer notes it is not known how often they happen or whether they affect gameplayGame Informer exclusive
  • Reported The story will not take you everywhere: much of the map is there to explore on your ownRupert Humphries, Rockstar
  • Reported Fast travel by an in-game ride-share appGame Informer, as summarised by IGN and GTABase
  • Reported A wider range of NPC body types and distinct physical featuresGame Informer

"I don't think we have ever created anything close to this before"

Aaron Garbut, Rockstar North, to Game Informer

Sources: Game Informer - Grand Theft Auto VI: Welcome to Leonida (cover story) () · Game Informer - Exclusive: over 170 animal species () · Game Informer - Exclusive: tropical storms and hurricanes () · NME - GTA 6 map is twice the size of GTA 5 () · Dexerto - Rockstar says you won't see all of GTA 6's map in the story () · GTABase - Game Informer preview details () · Rockstar Games on X - cover story free in the Game Informer app ()

What the showcase did not answer

Worth knowing, because plenty of coverage filled these gaps with guesswork:

  • TBAFrame rate, resolution and ray-tracing details - see the performance page
  • TBAAny online or multiplayer component
  • TBAThe full map, or its measured size (Rockstar has only said "about twice" GTA V, to Game Informer)
  • TBAMission structure beyond the segments shown
The showcase features come from Rockstar's own broadcast, which is why they're tagged Official; the Game Informer details are Rockstar's words to a magazine, so they're Reported and attributed. Footage that circulated before the showcase was leaked, and we don't publish, describe or link to any of it: here's why.

Sources: Rockstar Newswire - Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look () · Netflix Tudum - GTA VI extended first look ()

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