Rockstar Researched Florida for GTA VI’s Leonida

Rockstar Games developers researched Florida communities and locations for Grand Theft Auto VI by traveling across the state and spending time with residents, police officers and gang members, according to the company’s head of development, Aaron Garbut. He said the trips were intended to help shape Leonida, the game’s fictional version of Florida, into a believable and varied setting. Garbut described an initial journey by a small group from Miami through nearby towns and the Florida Keys to Key West. He said developers used the trips to explore the places and discuss ideas for the game. The research later broadened to include closer study of local communities and the stories people shared, including accounts of the region’s darker elements. The team’s aim, Garbut said, was to understand different sides of life in Florida rather than rely only on visual references. He described the state as marked by contrasts, including wealth and poverty, and said the developers sought to bring the places, people and details they encountered into Leonida. The precise ways those observations will appear in the finished game have not been specified.