What is in the Game Informer GTA 6 cover story?

The Game Informer GTA 6 cover story is a 14-page feature in issue 382 about Leonida, the game's fictional take on Florida. Game Informer's pages say it covers weather, wildlife and how Rockstar researched Miami, and it says nothing in its free pages about cheats.

The magazine revealed the cover on September 25, 2026. The digital issue went live on September 29, the same day Game Informer posted the feature and two short "exclusive" articles on its website. Print copies follow for subscribers and retail in the weeks after, according to the reveal page.

This summary is built only from what Game Informer itself has published online. We read the cover-reveal page, the digital-issue announcement, both exclusives, the opening of the feature and a related "One Last Thing" piece. All of it was checked on October 2, 2026. The full feature sits behind Game Informer's subscription wall, and we did not read it. Anything below that comes from the paywalled pages is marked as Game Informer's own description of them.

Who wrote the Game Informer GTA VI feature?

Marcus Stewart, a senior associate editor at Game Informer, wrote the cover story. He also wrote the reveal post, the digital-issue post and both exclusives.

On the reveal page, Stewart calls himself a lifelong native of South Florida. He says he spoke with "several lead designers at Rockstar Games" for the piece. Game Informer does not name those designers on any page we could read. None of the free articles quote a named Rockstar employee either. The two exclusives credit "Rockstar Games" as a company and nothing more specific.

The cover art comes from Rockstar. Game Informer describes it as original artwork showing the two leads, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. The story also carries 12 new screenshots that Game Informer calls exclusive. For more on who Jason and Lucia are, see our list of announced GTA 6 characters.

What did Game Informer reveal about GTA 6 weather?

The weather exclusive is one of two short free articles Game Informer posted on September 29. It credits Rockstar with these points:

  • Dynamic cloudscapes move across Leonida, so skies range from clear to cloudy.
  • Storms are localized. You can stand somewhere dry and see rain falling in the distance.
  • Puddles and wet surfaces persist after a storm passes.
  • Rainbows can appear after rain under the right light.
  • Tropical storms and seasonal hurricanes are in the game.

Game Informer is open about the gaps. Its own article says the magazine does not know how often the bigger storms happen or how they affect gameplay and the story. No hurricane mechanics, damage systems or mission links are described anywhere in the free text.

How many animals are in GTA 6, according to Game Informer?

Game Informer reports more than 170 animal species across land, air and sea. The article names native Florida animals, among them flamingos, manatees, pelicans and alligators. It also names invasive species: green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats and rhesus macaque monkeys.

On the technical side, the piece describes new hair and fur systems for coats and pelts. It also lists visual effects on animals such as iridescence, bioluminescence and translucency.

Game Informer also writes that you can track certain animals sorted as Rare, Discoverable and Legendary, and that the identities of those harder-to-find creatures are being kept secret. It does not say what tracking them leads to. Hunting, fishing, photography and rewards are not mentioned in the free text, so we will not guess.

What did the Game Informer GTA 6 issue leave out?

The free pages are narrow by design. They focus on setting. Here is what we could not find in any Game Informer page we read:

  • No cheat codes and no word on whether GTA VI will have cheats at all.
  • No PC version. Game Informer lists PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S only, with the November 19, 2026 date.
  • No GTA Online or multiplayer details.
  • No mission count, map size figure or story length.
  • No named developer quotes outside the paywall.

The cheat point matters most for this site. Rockstar has published nothing about cheats in GTA VI, and VI Cheats has not verified a single GTA VI code. Game Informer's free coverage does not change that. We cannot speak to the paywalled 14 pages, but nothing in Game Informer's own summaries of the story mentions cheats. Our running GTA 6 cheats status page will be updated if Rockstar or a credible outlet reports otherwise.

When can you read the GTA VI Game Informer issue?

Game Informer's digital-issue post went up on September 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM. It says the digital version of the November 2026 issue is now live. A membership includes 10 issues, per the same post. Game Informer says the physical subscription ships in the U.S. and to 52 countries internationally.

Besides GTA VI, issue 382 includes a 10-page preview of Tides of Annihilation, a Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons feature, an interview with Finn Wolfhard and reviews of games including Marvel's Wolverine. A "One Last Thing" piece Game Informer posted the same day looks back at earlier GTA cities and notes that Liberty City has appeared in nine games.

How does this fit with what Rockstar has said?

Game Informer's dates match Rockstar's. Rockstar's Newswire set November 19, 2026 as launch day in a post on November 6, 2025, and a search on October 2, 2026 turned up no newer delay. Game Informer repeats the same date and the same two consoles on its September 29 pages.

Game Informer's own GTA VI page also lists its August 27 coverage of Rockstar's gameplay trailer, which we covered in our GTA 6 extended look report. The cover story's free pages add weather and wildlife detail that the trailer coverage did not have.

VI Cheats is independent. We are not affiliated with Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony, Microsoft or Game Informer.

Is the Game Informer GTA 6 article free to read?

Partly. The cover-reveal post, the digital-issue post and the two exclusives on weather and wildlife are free on Game Informer's site. The full 14-page feature needs a subscription.

Does Game Informer mention cheats in GTA 6?

Not in any page we could read on October 2, 2026. Game Informer's free text covers weather, wildlife and research for Leonida. It says nothing about cheat codes.

Which Rockstar developers did Game Informer interview?

Game Informer says it spoke with several lead designers at Rockstar Games. It does not name them on its free pages.

Does the Game Informer issue confirm a GTA 6 PC version?

No. Game Informer lists PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only, matching Rockstar, which has never announced a PC version.