GTA 6 will have more than 170 animal species: from manatees and flamingos to monkeys, plus legendary creatures to track

Rockstar confirms to Game Informer more than 60 types of birds and 30 land mammals, Florida's native and invasive wildlife, and Rare, Discoverable and Legendary animals you can track.

Red Dead Redemption 2 was a game about the West, and its animals were almost another main character. Rockstar wants to do it again in Leonida, and wildlife is one of the big reveals in Game Informer's cover story of 29 September.

Florida's wildlife, the real thing

According to Game Informer, Leonida will have more than 170 species, and several have never appeared in a Rockstar game. The idea is to reproduce the real Florida's mix, where native animals live alongside those that came from elsewhere:

• Native: flamingos, manatees, pelicans and, of course, alligators.
• Invasive: green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats and even rhesus macaques.

The magazine itself makes the point about the monkeys: "Yes, Florida has monkeys". It's true. Rhesus macaques were released at Silver Springs in the 1930s, went feral and still live along the Silver River near Ocala, where they can be seen when travelling the river.

Under the water

Marine life is there too. VGC and RockstarINTEL, which have read the full issue, mention sharks, whales, rays, turtles and jellyfish. That fits another confirmed activity, scuba diving, and the official Keys screenshot at the top of this story, with a turtle and divers on the seabed.

Rare, Discoverable and Legendary

Some animals can be tracked and fall into three categories: Rare, Discoverable and Legendary. Rockstar hasn't said which they are; it is keeping them secret.

The name recalls Red Dead Redemption 2's legendary animals, which you had to find and follow across the map. But Rockstar hasn't explained what tracking is for in GTA 6: hunting, photography, rewards or just the joy of finding them. One of the new screenshots has led some outlets to talk about hunting, but the story doesn't confirm it.

More detail on every animal

Rockstar builds on its Red Dead work and adds new effects: iridescence (the sheen that shifts colour with the light), bioluminescence, translucency, different feather types and new hair and fur systems.

And zoos

Zoo visits are among the confirmed activities. We don't know which animals will be there or whether they connect to the wider wildlife. The full list of activities is in our summary of the story.

FAQ

How many animals will GTA 6 have?

More than 170 species, including more than 60 types of birds and more than 30 land mammals, plus marine life such as sharks, whales, rays, turtles and jellyfish.

Will there be monkeys in GTA 6?

Yes. Rockstar includes rhesus macaques, one of the invasive species that live wild in Florida.

What are GTA 6's legendary animals?

One of three categories of trackable animals, alongside Rare and Discoverable. Rockstar hasn't said which they are or what tracking them is for.