Rockstar researched GTA 6 with police officers and gang members in Florida

Rockstar Games developers travelled across Florida with police and gang members while researching GTA 6

Rockstar Games developers travelled across Florida with police officers and gang members while researching the locations and communities that inspired GTA 6’s fictional state of Leonida.

Rockstar head of development Aaron Garbut discussed the studio’s research process in an interview with Love Magazine ahead of GTA 6’s release.

He explained that development begins with research trips before gradually involving more members of the team.

A small group initially travelled from Miami through surrounding towns and the Florida Keys to Key West, recording locations and discussing how aspects of the region could be translated into the game.

As development progressed, Rockstar’s research became more extensive, with developers spending time with people from different communities across Florida.

“We do go in-depth, we hang with locals and we hear lots of stories and learn as much as we can,” Garbut said. “We travel around with cops and with gang members.”

Garbut said some of the people the team encountered could be “equally scary”, while the developers also heard stories and visited locations that showed them a darker side of the region.

“The people who showed us around were among the nicest we’ve met,” he added, “the stories, the places, the details could be terrifying.”

Rockstar’s research also included aerial trips through Florida. During one journey, members of the team flew low over mangrove inlets in the Everglades before eventually hovering above a stadium during a Beyoncé concert.

“I think we made the local news the next day,” Garbut recalled.

The studio used its research to build what Garbut described as a world that is “believable and varied, with depth”. Developers recorded smaller details that could influence pedestrian conversations, fictional radio shows and advertisements