On this page
GTA 6 is on the cover of Game Informer issue 382. The magazine announced the cover story on September 25, 2026, and the digital issue went live on Tuesday, September 29, with Rockstar interviews that reported hurricanes and tropical storms in the game’s weather system for the first time. Print copies reach subscribers and newsstands “in the coming weeks.” It is a magazine feature, not a trailer.
What Game Informer announced
| Detail | What Game Informer says |
|---|---|
| Length | A 14-page cover story |
| Screenshots | 12 new, exclusive screenshots of the game’s “sights and citizens” |
| Cover | Original artwork of Jason and Lucia, “courtesy of Rockstar Games” |
| Interviews | Several lead designers at Rockstar, not named yet |
| Writer | Marcus Stewart, who calls himself a lifelong South Florida native |
| Digital issue | September 29, 2026, no time given |
| To subscribers and newsstands “in the coming weeks”, no date | |
| Availability | The GTA VI issue is on sale for a limited time only |
Game Informer says the story covers three things: advanced weather systems that simulate Florida’s “less sunny weather phenomena”, a “staggering amount of wildlife”, native and otherwise, on land, in the air and at sea, and how Rockstar researched Miami and Florida to make its world as accurate and lifelike as it could. That is the magazine describing its own story, so every game detail here is reported, not confirmed by Rockstar. Game Informer credits only the cover art to Rockstar and has not said who supplied the screenshots.
How to read it
Game Informer points readers to its digital issue on September 29 and offers a print subscription that starts with this issue. It has not announced a free web version or a video. We will not host the cover or the screenshots; we link to Game Informer instead.
What the September 29 story says about weather
Game Informer’s digital issue went live on September 29, 2026. Several outlets that read the cover story reported that Rockstar’s designers described reworking GTA 6’s weather to be more localized and persistent than in past Rockstar games, with dynamic cloudscapes that roll across Leonida. Storms bring heavy rain, strong wind, dark skies, thunder and lightning, with water visibly running off rooftops and other surfaces. The story also covers hurricanes and tropical storms as part of that system, built to simulate Florida’s less sunny side (reported, not a direct Rockstar statement). Rockstar has not said how often hurricanes or storms occur, whether they affect story missions, or whether they cause flooding or damage to buildings, and no gameplay footage of the weather system has been shown. Treat the exact wording as paraphrased from outlets that read the paywalled issue, not a direct Rockstar quote.
The wildlife side of the story repeats what Game Informer announced on September 25: a “staggering amount” of wildlife, native and otherwise, on land, in the air and at sea. We could not independently confirm a specific species count some outlets printed, so we are not stating one here; see GTA 6 animals for what is confirmed from official footage and screenshots.
What is still guesswork
- Whether weather differs by region, or affects missions: an open question Notebookcheck raised before the issue dropped; the outlets we read on September 29 and 30 did not resolve it.
- Hunting and fishing changing with weather, and alligators appearing in storm scenes: not stated in the coverage we could verify.
- Music and radio: GamingBolt’s hope, not something Game Informer listed. What is known is on GTA VI: The Album.
The story is also not Trailer 3, and Rockstar has not announced another trailer.
The cover is not a separate Rockstar release either. Vice’s September 27 story on “new GTA 6 artwork of Jason and Lucia” is about this Game Informer cover, which the magazine credits to Rockstar. Rockstar has not posted it on its own site or its artwork and wallpapers page (checked September 28), so we do not host it.
Game Informer also ran a GTA V cover story, in its December 2012 issue, the year before that game launched.
What is next
Game Informer still has not named the designers it interviewed. Rockstar’s own images are on GTA 6 screenshots, and every dated event is on the news timeline. After this story, the next date for players is the November 12 pre-load.
Pre-order the boxed GTA VI
Amazon sells the boxed Standard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc. Amazon delivers from November 12, the day pre-load opens, and standard delivery can arrive later, so check the date at checkout. The game unlocks November 19.
PS5GTA VI · PS5Standard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc, for US and Canadian PlayStation accounts. Amazon delivers from November 12, with release-day delivery for Prime members; it unlocks November 19.Pre-order on AmazonXbox Series X|SGTA VI · XboxStandard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc. Amazon delivers from November 12, with release-day delivery for Prime members; it unlocks November 19.Pre-order on AmazonPS5GTA VI DualSenseSony's official Grand Theft Auto VI Limited Edition controller in white, out November 19.Pre-order on AmazonAmazon's Pre-order Price Guarantee: "the price we charge when we ship it to you will be the lowest price offered by Amazon.com between the time you placed your order and the end of the day of the release date." Amazon's help page adds that it "does not apply to lower prices offered through any program that requires a customer to join the program to receive the lower price." Amazon's release date for the GTA VI boxes is November 12.
Amazon's listing offers Prime members release-day delivery on November 12. New members can start a 30-day free trial (Amazon, checked September 28); a trial started before mid-October runs out before November 12, so start it later or keep the membership. Try Prime on AmazonPaid link: Amazon pays GTA6.how a fee if you sign up. As an Amazon Associate, GTA6.how earns from qualifying purchases.
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Background: Official GTA 6 screenshots · GTA 6 gameplay · Vice City in GTA 6
Frequently asked questions
When does the GTA 6 Game Informer issue come out?
The digital issue goes live on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Print copies reach subscribers and newsstands in the coming weeks, with no date given, and Game Informer says the GTA VI issue is available for a limited time only.
Who did Game Informer interview for its GTA 6 cover story?
Several lead designers at Rockstar Games, according to Game Informer. The digital issue went live on September 29 and outlets that read it have not named them either.
Is the Game Informer cover story a new GTA 6 trailer?
No. It is a 14-page magazine feature with 12 new screenshots. Rockstar has not announced a third trailer or a launch trailer.
Does GTA 6 have hurricanes?
Reported, not confirmed by Rockstar directly. Game Informer's September 29 cover story says Rockstar's weather system includes hurricanes and tropical storms, based on interviews with Rockstar designers. Frequency and whether they affect the story or cause damage are not stated.
Will GTA6.how post the Game Informer screenshots?
No. We only host Rockstar's own press images. If Rockstar adds the screenshots to its official site we will add them; until then we link to Game Informer.
What changed on this page
- Added what the September 29 digital issue actually says about weather: Rockstar's cover story interview describes a reworked, more localized weather system and confirms hurricanes and tropical storms. Updated the hurricanes FAQ answer from rumor to reported.
- Added that the "new artwork" some outlets reported on September 27 is this Game Informer cover, not a new Rockstar release. The digital issue is still due September 29.
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