🗞️ British magazine EDGE got something almost nobody gets: a visit to Rockstar North in Edinburgh, a few weeks before GTA 6 comes out.
The result: a 16-page cover story in issue 430, on sale since October 29, 2026, with a gatefold cover and 12 new screenshots of the game. And the full feature can be read for free on GamesRadar+, the magazine's publisher.
For 90 minutes, Rob Nelson, co-head of the studio, played the game in front of the journalists. No script, no plan: he just followed his nose. Here's everything we learned. 👇
🖼️ The 12 new GTA 6 screenshots
EDGE published 15 screenshots. Three of them were already on Rockstar's website, which leaves 12 brand-new ones.
They show Jason and Lucia with new looks (Jason even has long hair in one of them), a convenience store robbery, a motorcycle getaway, a hammerhead shark, an airboat crossing a swamp, a mud race and a biker gang.
Every image is in our GTA 6 gallery, under the EDGE Magazine filter, in full resolution (2560 × 1440).
💡 While we were at it, we also added the 27 official 4K screenshots (3840 × 2160) that Rockstar put on its website: you'll find them in our GTA 6 4K wallpapers, ready to download.
🗺️ A map almost as big as GTA IV, GTA V and RDR2 combined
According to EDGE, the map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's. Rockstar goes further: counting Vice City and its surroundings, Leonida is almost as large as the maps of GTA IV, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined.
But size isn't the most impressive part. The game has "an order of magnitude more interiors" than its predecessors, says Aaron Garbut, the studio's other co-head. Even after years of work, he still stumbles on places he had never seen.
Houses tell the story of the people who live there: photos on the walls, piled-up belongings, mess. Garbut describes walking into an unfamiliar house: photos of a dog in one room… and, in the next, everything trashed by the animal. Jason grimaced on his own: a disgust system, first built for a single scene, kicked in by itself.
👥 Pedestrians who won't be pushed around
Rockstar set up an entire team in Los Angeles (writers, directors, producers) just for the pedestrians. The studio mentions around 600,000 animations.
Every pedestrian has a personality: temperament, aggression, where they are, what they've seen and how you've treated them. Depending on the neighborhood, some run away, others come looking for trouble.
In the demo, Jason stares a little too long at a man walking his dog. The man takes it badly… and unclips the leash. Jason has to run for it. 🐕
Walking around with a weapon gets noticed too: a shotgun slung over your back worries people less than one held in your hands. People back away, and some come to challenge you. But you can drop the weapon, and the game gives you some leeway before you get a wanted level.
🚓 The police remember your outfit
No more waiting for the stars to fade. A "heat" system tracks what the police know about you: your description, whether you were alone or with a partner, your clothes, whether a CCTV camera caught you, and your weapon.
That information shows up as icons at the top of the screen. To get away: split up with your partner, change clothes, get rid of the weapon. You become less and less recognizable.
Stealing a car gets risky. Some drivers panic and flee, others are armed and fight back. Newer, expensive cars can have a tracker that gives away your position. And the owner may call the police after you.
In the demo, Jason and Lucia escape on a motorcycle after a botched robbery. You can switch between them: one rides, the other shoots. The police lay a stinger strip across the road, the front tire blows, the couple is thrown to the ground… and a police dog pins Jason down. Everyone in the office begged Nelson not to shoot it.
😇😈 The "Criminal Profile" changes the story
Red Dead Redemption 2 had a big influence on the story, and it shows in a new feature: the Criminal Profile. It ranks Jason and Lucia from "Professional" to "Irredeemable", with an angel icon and a devil icon.
A fight doesn't have to end in a death: you can incapacitate an enemy, or try threats and intimidation before violence. Those who shoot first will build a violent profile. And according to Rockstar, this profile influences how the story unfolds.
❤️ Jason and Lucia, a relationship to nurture
As in GTA V, you can switch between characters when the story allows it. But Jason and Lucia aren't Franklin, Michael and Trevor: they share a history that is romantic as well as professional.
Their closeness is measured on a four-level scale. It grows with the time they spend together: walks on the beach, cycling, the gym (once you've paid for the membership), or simply driving around together.
You choose what kind of criminal you are, not whether you are one. And can they get married? Rob Nelson would neither confirm nor deny it. 💍
The real theme of the story is leaving crime behind. "We start them wanting to be together, and wanting to give this relationship of theirs another shot. But, as the game progresses, it's yours to keep or yours to lose," Nelson sums up.
🌦️ Truly living weather
In GTA V, it was sun or rain. In GTA 6, clouds move according to wind, humidity, fog, time of day and season.
In bright sunshine, you can see a storm forming in the distance. Roads get wet, buildings drip after the rain, then everything dries. Wind moves trees and waves: in a boat, you'll get rocked more or less depending on where you are. A plane or helicopter can even take light damage if it stays inside a big storm. And pedestrians run for shelter.
The day-night cycle is much longer than in GTA V: with the old timings, "everything felt too fast". Sunsets linger, and so do the nights. Roads have also been narrowed to a "more believable size".
🚗 Scooter Bros, fuel and cars on demand
Need your car? With the Scooter Bros app, someone delivers it within seconds for a small fee, then rides off on a scooter. All your weapons are stashed in the trunk.
Every vehicle has a fuel gauge and an engine health readout. A full tank lasts a long time and refueling is quick, but you have to keep it in mind.
The WAINK app lists the models wanted by fences: their security, their tracker… The better protected the car, the harder it is to steal. And part of the payment depends on its condition on arrival.
The rest of the time, you can take the bus or the train: they really work. Phil Hooker, one of the three heads of development, admits he knows every route by heart. 🚌 As for buffs: coffee boosts stamina, a protein shake boosts health.
On the highway, kids in a 4x4 with purple underglow may also challenge you to a street race… even in the middle of a getaway.
🎮 A story that lets you breathe
Missions no longer always follow one another without a break. Sometimes Jason and Lucia first have to raise cash to land the next job: hold up a gas station or a jewelry store, or steal a car for a fence.
"You can really make the game what you want it to be," says Aaron Garbut. Buying cigarettes and beer, taking the train for the day, going to a club: "You can have your life in the game."
🏔️ "A pyramid on Everest"
A few more behind-the-scenes details: around 900 people work at Rockstar North, in the former building of the newspaper The Scotsman. In the lobby, a small slogan: "PARANOIA IS GOOD".
Work began as early as 2015, with a scouting trip to Miami led by Rob Nelson. Jason and Lucia's Bonnie-and-Clyde-style story was only locked in once Red Dead Redemption 2 was finished.
Aaron Garbut has never felt better about a game: "We've not compromised on the scale, the detail, the interactivity, the story, the open world. I feel like we've built a pyramid on Everest." And Rob Nelson concludes: "It's ready."
📅 Only three weeks to go
GTA 6 comes out on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Preloading opens on November 12: it's all in our article on the game's size and preloading.
And you, what will you do first? Let's talk about it in our 20-days-left article. 🌴
❓ Frequently asked questions
Where can I see the 12 new GTA 6 screenshots from EDGE magazine?
In EDGE issue 430, out October 29, 2026, and for free on GamesRadar+. They're also in our GTA 6 gallery, under the EDGE Magazine filter.
How big is the GTA 6 map?
According to EDGE, roughly twice the size of GTA V's. Rockstar adds that, with Vice City, Leonida is almost as large as the maps of GTA IV, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined.
What is the Criminal Profile in GTA 6?
A system that ranks Jason and Lucia from Professional to Irredeemable based on how you act. Incapacitating or intimidating instead of killing counts, and the profile influences the story.
Can you switch characters in GTA 6?
Yes. As in GTA V, you switch between Jason and Lucia when the story allows it, for example during a motorcycle getaway: one rides, the other shoots.
Are there buses and trains in GTA 6?
Yes. According to Rockstar North, buses and trains really work and you can ride them across Leonida.
Sources: EDGE issue 430, feature "Grand Theft Auto VI exclusive – The state that never sleeps", published online by GamesRadar+ on October 29, 2026; Rockstar Games' official gallery.