GTA 6 Will Have a Huge Wildlife System With More Than 170 Animal Species

GTA 6 won’t just be about cars, crime, and Vice City nightlife. Rockstar is also building its most ambitious wildlife system ever seen in a Grand Theft Auto game.

According to new details shared through Game Informer, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature more than 170 different animal species across the state of Leonida.

That makes GTA 6’s wildlife far more ambitious than anything the series has attempted before.

More Than 170 Animal Species

Rockstar is taking some of the ideas developed for Red Dead Redemption 2 and expanding them for GTA 6.

Leonida will be home to wildlife across land, water, and air, including more than 60 species of birds and over 30 different land mammals. Fish, reptiles, marine animals, and other creatures will make up the rest of the ecosystem.

Some confirmed animals include:

• Alligators

• Flamingos

• Manatees

• Pelicans

• Green iguanas

• Cane toads

• Feral cats

• Rhesus macaque monkeys

Many of these animals are directly inspired by the native and invasive species found throughout real-world Florida.

Rockstar Is Building a More Detailed Ecosystem

The wildlife won’t simply exist as background decoration.

Rockstar says it is building on technology developed for the Red Dead Redemption games, with animals featuring much more detailed visual and behavioral systems.

Some creatures can display effects such as iridescence, bioluminescence, translucency, different feather types, and improved fur systems.

This means wildlife should react more naturally to Leonida’s different environments, from the beaches and wetlands to forests, islands, and rural areas.

Rare and Legendary Animals Are Coming Back

Players will also have reasons to actively search for wildlife.

Certain animals will reportedly be categorized as Discoverable, Rare, or Legendary, suggesting GTA 6 will include some form of animal tracking or discovery system similar to Red Dead Redemption 2.

Rockstar has not revealed which species will fall into these categories yet.

That could make exploring areas such as the Grassrivers, Leonida Keys, and Mount Kalaga much more rewarding than simply driving from mission to mission.

Hunting and Fishing Could Be a Big Part of Exploration

With such a large number of animals in the game, hunting and fishing are expected to play a much bigger role than they did in previous GTA titles.

GTA 6’s setting is especially well suited for this.

Leonida includes huge wetlands, rivers, coastal areas, islands, and wilderness, giving Rockstar plenty of opportunities to create side activities centered around wildlife.

While not every related activity has been fully detailed yet, the sheer scale of the animal system makes it clear that Rockstar wants players to spend time exploring Leonida outside of the main story.

Even the Weather Can Make Things Interesting

Wildlife won’t be the only thing making the wilderness unpredictable.

Rockstar has also confirmed that GTA 6 will feature tropical storms and hurricanes, adding another layer of danger and realism to the world.

So if Jason disappears for a few hours and claims he was out birdwatching when a hurricane rolled in, Lucia might actually have to believe him.

GTA 6 Is Looking More Like a Living World

The biggest takeaway is that Rockstar is treating Leonida as much more than a giant city map.

With more than 170 animal species, dynamic weather, varied environments, and detailed ecosystems, GTA 6 appears to be pushing much closer toward the kind of living-world simulation Rockstar achieved with Red Dead Redemption 2.

Except this time, it comes with supercars, beaches, nightclubs, alligators, and Vice City chaos.