Leonida gets hurricanes. Preview report Game Informer's 14-page Grand Theft Auto VI cover story, which went live for subscribers on September 29, reports that tropical storms and hurricanes can hit the state as part of a weather system Rockstar rebuilt from scratch.
It's the most searched-for detail to come out of the feature, and for good reason: it's the first time Rockstar has put Florida's most famous weather into a GTA game in a confirmed way. Here's what's been reported, what it probably means, and the big questions Rockstar hasn't answered.
What Rockstar told Game Informer
The details below come from coverage of the feature, which is written by Miami native Marcus Stewart and based on interviews with Rockstar's lead designers. Preview report The full text sits behind Game Informer's paywall, so we're reporting what has been widely and consistently described from it.
- Tropical storms and hurricanes can both hit Leonida.
- Storms look and sound the part: heavy rain, strong winds, dark clouds, thunder and lightning, with water visibly running off rooftops and other surfaces.
- Weather is localized and persistent. Conditions can differ from one part of the map to another, instead of the whole state switching weather at once.
- A dynamic cloud system can produce anything from clear winter skies to towering storm clouds and afternoon lightning.
- Wind is simulated in detail. Gusts move hair and loose debris on rooftops, ripple water and bend the grass in the swamps.
- Rebuilt from scratch. Rockstar reportedly says it rebuilt the weather system to give Leonida a greater sense of scale than its previous worlds.
Why this matters in a Florida game
Anyone who has lived in South Florida knows the weather isn't all postcards. Summer afternoons bring sudden downpours and thunderstorms, and the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. A Vice City that was sunny all the time would have felt wrong, and Game Informer's own pitch for the feature was that Rockstar set out to simulate Florida's "less sunny" weather.
Localized weather also suits Leonida's size. The map is reported to be roughly twice as big as GTA 5's, so a storm rolling across Grassrivers while Vice City stays dry is the kind of detail a bigger state can support. Read our map size story.
What we still don't know
This is where to be careful. Several sites are already describing hurricanes that flood streets, knock out power or force evacuations. None of that has been reported from the feature.
| Question | Status |
|---|---|
| Can hurricanes hit Leonida? | Yes, per the Game Informer feature |
| How often do they happen? | Not said |
| Do they affect driving, boats or aircraft? | Not said |
| Do they change missions or police? | Not said |
| Is a hurricane part of the story? | Not said |
| Flooding, damage or power cuts? | Not reported. Treat claims as speculation |
| Can you see a forecast in-game? | Not said |
Rockstar tends to hold back gameplay systems until closer to launch, or leave them for players to discover. We'll update this page if anything more is confirmed.
What earlier footage showed
Both trailers and the Netflix Extended Look on August 27 showed bright sunshine and heavy rain, and the 12 new screenshots in the Game Informer issue reportedly include stormy skies. Preview report What's new is the explanation of how the system works, and the confirmation that full tropical storms and hurricanes are part of it.
Questions about GTA 6 hurricanes
Does GTA 6 have hurricanes?
Yes. Game Informer's September 29 cover story reports that tropical storms and hurricanes can hit Leonida, the game's version of Florida. Rockstar hasn't said how often they happen.
Do hurricanes affect missions in GTA 6?
Unknown. Rockstar hasn't said whether storms change missions, driving, police behaviour or the story. The Game Informer feature describes how storms look and sound, not what they do to gameplay.
Is GTA 6 weather the same across the whole map?
No. The new weather system is localized and persistent, so it can be storming in one part of Leonida and clear in another, and conditions don't reset instantly.
What's new about GTA 6's weather system?
Rockstar rebuilt it from scratch. Reports from the feature mention localized weather, a dynamic cloud system ranging from clear skies to towering thunderheads, and a wind system that moves hair, rooftop debris, water and swamp grass.
Will there be a hurricane when GTA 6 launches?
Nothing suggests weather follows the real calendar. For what it's worth, the real Atlantic hurricane season runs until November 30, and GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026.