GTA VI has hurricanes and more than 170 animal species

Leonida is Rockstar's version of Florida, and that includes Florida's weather. For Game Informer's September cover story, Rockstar walked through the game's weather and wildlife: tropical storms, hurricanes and more than 170 animal species.

Here's what's been shown, and what hasn't.

Weather that stays local

GTA VI doesn't run one weather setting for the whole map. Game Informer writes that "Rockstar confirms that the game features dynamic cloudscapes that roll across Leonida," with "localized storms, meaning you can occupy a dry, sunny area and spot storms in the distance."

Rain leaves a mark, too. You'll be able to tell it just rained "thanks to persistent puddles and other wet surfaces," and you might catch a rainbow after a shower.

Then there's the wind. Dexerto reports that Owen Shepherd, Rockstar's vice president of art for lighting and rendering, told Game Informer: "Hair and debris will swirl around on roof-tops; gusts of wind will blow ripples over the water surface and bend the grass in swamps." Dexerto, reporting on the same interview, says the wind system also accounts for offshore breezes after sunset, rising warm air and buildings that block the wind.

Hurricanes are in

"Florida is known for experiencing tropical storms and seasonal hurricanes; the same is true in Grand Theft Auto VI's Leonida," Game Informer reports. Dexerto says the big storms bring "heavy clouds, powerful winds, downpours, thunder, and lightning."

What Rockstar hasn't said is how often a hurricane hits, what one does to the map, or whether any part of the story depends on one. Theories are going around online. None of them come from Rockstar.

More than 170 species

Game Informer reports that Leonida has "over 170 animal species across land, air, and sea, several of which have never appeared in a Rockstar Game."

The list follows Florida's real wildlife, invaders included:

• Native: alligators, manatees, flamingos and pelicans.
• Invasive: green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats and rhesus macaque monkeys. "Yes, Florida has monkeys," Game Informer adds.

Some animals are harder to find. You can track ones categorized as Rare, Discoverable and Legendary, "though the identities of these harder-to-find creatures are being kept secret." Game Informer says the work builds on Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption games, with new hair and fur systems and effects such as iridescence, bioluminescence and translucency.

Where to look

Rockstar's own region notes are a decent field guide. In Grassrivers, "the gators may be the most famous attraction, but there are far deadlier predators." The Leonida Keys sit by "some of the most beautiful and dangerous waters in all of America." Mount Kalaga, against the northern border, "offers prime hunting, fishing, and off-road trails."

What launch week will add

Rockstar is deliberately holding back the Legendary animals, and hurricane frequency is the open weather question. Players will answer both once the game unlocks on November 19. Expect a lot of claims that week. We'll pass on the ones that check out.