Rockstar Games has "re-engineered" its weather systems for Grand Theft Auto 6, aiming to create a "sense of scale we haven't felt before" by introducing elements like hurricanes and dynamic cloudscapes. According to Owen Shepherd, Rockstar's vice president of art for lighting and rendering, the new system is designed to be more localized and persistent than in previous titles.
Shepherd told Game Informer that the studio focused on making weather effects "much more localized and persistent" to give the world a more dynamic and solid feel. The game will feature fully dynamic clouds that change across the map, allowing for a range of weather conditions from clear skies to afternoon thunderstorms. The aftermath of these weather events, such as wet pavements and puddles, will remain even after the storm has passed.
While specific details on hurricanes remain scarce, Shepherd described the intended visual effect as a combination of heavy clouds, strong winds, dense atmospherics, and significant rainfall, with water visibly dripping from structures and lightning dramatically illuminating the clouds. It is currently unclear how these weather systems will impact gameplay, such as how wet roads might affect vehicle handling or how flying and parachuting will be affected by severe weather.
GTA 6 is slated for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19. In addition to its advanced weather, the game will feature over 170 animal species, including a variety of birds and mammals, and will bring back underwater scuba-diving with marine life like manatees and whales. The game will also incorporate a system for studying discoverable animals, similar to a feature in Red Dead Redemption 2.