Meta description: GTA 6 headlines Game Informer’s next issue, promising new screenshots, Rockstar developer interviews and fresh details about Leonida.

 

GTA 6 is taking over the next cover of Game Informer, with Rockstar Games preparing to reveal new information and previously unseen screenshots from its upcoming open world blockbuster.

The magazine has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI will headline issue 382. Its main feature spans 14 pages and includes conversations with several of Rockstar’s lead designers.

The complete digital story is scheduled to arrive on September 29, 2026.

Rather than simply revisiting information from Rockstar’s recent promotional campaign, Game Informer says its feature contains exclusive details. A major focus will be the creation of Leonida, the fictional state surrounding Vice City.

That makes this more than another GTA 6 cover appearance. It could offer one of the clearest developer perspectives on how Rockstar constructed its new world.

Game Informer Spoke Directly With Rockstar’s Lead Designers

Game Informer’s Marcus Stewart interviewed several lead designers at Rockstar Games for the upcoming feature.

Those conversations will form the foundation of the magazine’s 14 page GTA 6 cover story. Game Informer has deliberately avoided revealing the exclusive information early, so the exact subjects discussed by Rockstar remain under wraps.

What has been confirmed is that the feature will explore the development of Leonida.

That should provide valuable context for a setting Rockstar has revealed gradually through trailers, screenshots and its recent Extended Look.

Fans have already seen Vice City’s beaches and nightlife alongside highways, smaller communities, wetlands and the Leonida Keys. However, seeing those environments is different from hearing developers explain why they were created in a particular way.

The upcoming interviews could help bridge that gap.

Leonida Is Much More Than GTA’s New Vice City

Vice City remains the most recognizable part of GTA 6’s setting, but Rockstar’s ambitions clearly extend beyond the city itself.

Leonida is a fictional interpretation of Florida, giving the studio room to explore different landscapes and communities within one connected open world.

Rockstar has already introduced areas including the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.

Each region offers a different atmosphere.

Vice City provides dense streets, beaches, clubs and urban excess. The Keys offer a more relaxed coastal setting. Grassrivers brings players into wetlands filled with wildlife, while Port Gellhorn represents a faded tourist destination.

Mount Kalaga, meanwhile, takes the game away from the coastline and into a more rugged environment.

Understanding how Rockstar connects these areas could be one of the most interesting parts of the Game Informer feature.

New GTA 6 Screenshots Are Coming

Game Informer has also promised new GTA 6 screenshots.

No complete preview of those images has been released yet, which leaves plenty of room for speculation about what Rockstar has allowed the magazine to show.

Fresh screenshots can reveal more than they initially appear to.

Fans have repeatedly used Rockstar’s official images to identify vehicles, businesses, roads, landmarks and environmental details. Even background elements can help clarify the geography of Leonida or reveal features that Rockstar has not discussed directly.

New character images would be equally interesting.

Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos remain at the center of the story, but Rockstar has introduced a much larger supporting cast. Characters including Cal Hampton, Boobie Ike, Dre’Quan Priest, Real Dimez, Raul Bautista and Brian Heder all occupy different corners of Leonida’s criminal world.

The Game Informer screenshots could provide another look at those characters or introduce scenes that have never appeared in Rockstar’s trailers.

Rockstar Has Already Revealed Much More About GTA 6

The magazine feature arrives after a significant increase in official GTA 6 information.

Rockstar’s Extended Look gave players a lengthy demonstration of the game running on PlayStation 5. It showed everyday life across Leonida alongside robberies, driving, nightlife and interactions between Jason and Lucia.

The presentation also highlighted Rockstar’s focus on environmental density.

Busy streets and clubs contain large crowds. NPC interactions appear more detailed, while the world offers activities ranging from racing and scuba diving to exercise and other recreational pursuits.

Rockstar has also expanded on Jason and Lucia’s backgrounds, making their relationship a central part of the narrative rather than simply a convenient criminal partnership.

Game Informer now has an opportunity to go behind those features and discuss the design decisions that produced them.

The Cover Continues a Long Rockstar Tradition

There is something appropriately old school about Rockstar choosing Game Informer for a major GTA 6 feature.

Magazine cover stories once played a major role in the marketing of Grand Theft Auto games. Before social media and hour long gameplay showcases became standard, these features often provided the first detailed explanations of new characters, locations and mechanics.

Rockstar used that format effectively throughout previous generations.

A lengthy magazine feature allowed the company to reveal information without exposing every part of the game through video. Screenshots could be carefully selected, while developer interviews offered context around specific systems.

The same format still makes sense for GTA 6.

After years of speculation, hearing directly from the people designing Leonida provides something trailers cannot easily deliver.

GTA 6’s Marketing Campaign Has Entered a New Phase

The timing also shows how dramatically Rockstar’s communication strategy has changed as launch approaches.

For much of GTA 6’s development, official updates were rare. Months could pass without substantial new information.

Now, the gaps are shrinking.

Rockstar has released extensive gameplay footage, opened preorders, expanded its character profiles and revealed more of Leonida. Merchandise and promotional products are appearing, while new interviews and screenshots continue to arrive through outside publications.

The Game Informer issue fits naturally into that broader campaign.

It also arrives less than two months before the currently scheduled release, making every new piece of information more relevant to players deciding which edition or platform to choose.

September 29 Is the Date GTA 6 Fans Should Watch

The most important details remain deliberately hidden until the full feature arrives.

Game Informer has confirmed exclusive information, developer interviews and new screenshots, but it has not disclosed exactly what Rockstar’s designers revealed.

That restraint is important. Until the story is published, claims about previously unknown gameplay mechanics or major story revelations remain speculation.

What players can expect is a deeper examination of how Rockstar created GTA 6’s Leonida and the design thinking behind one of the most anticipated open worlds in gaming.

The 14 page digital feature goes live on September 29.

With Grand Theft Auto VI scheduled for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Rockstar’s long period of secrecy is clearly giving way to a much more active final marketing campaign.

And this time, fans will have new screenshots to study along with it.