Love Magazine interviewed Rockstar: What We Learned About GTA 6, Lucia, Jason, and Leonida
October 5, 2026
In an interview with Love Magazine, Rockstar discussed the making of GTA 6: research trips to Florida, character writing, satire of modern society, and the painstaking attention paid to even the smallest details in the open world. Here’s what you need to know.
It All Starts with Research Trips
According to Rockstar, development on GTA 6 began with long study trips through Miami and Florida, the surrounding cities, and the Florida Keys all the way down to Key West.
These excursions were initially conducted in very small groups. The studio later returned with larger teams when certain locations became significant to development.
To understand the state, the developers traveled with locals, police officers, and gang members, allowing them to discover places tourists rarely see. Rockstar explains that these encounters with locals, officers, and gang members led to stories they describe as “terrifying.”
Some of these trips directly influenced the game: Miami’s extreme wealth, poverty, excess, madness, and local culture all feed into Leonida.
A World Designed for Hundreds of Hours
Rockstar wants Vice City and Leonida to feel like places where players could spend hundreds of hours.
To achieve this, the studio says it doesn’t treat the following as mere side content:
- radio;
- advertising;
- pedestrian dialogue.
Rockstar has created a huge amount of ambient conversations, radio content, ads, and bystander chatter, ensuring the world feels alive even when the player isn’t interacting. The studio even has a dedicated writing and production operation for all this material that surrounds the player.
A Satire of Modern Culture
The satire in GTA 6 will focus on contemporary culture, especially conspiracy theories and the strange ways people react to everyday events.
Rockstar says it deliberately avoids recreating viral real-world moments as-is. Instead, the studio prefers to create its own warped versions of today’s culture.
The studio also believes the modern “American Dream” is more modest than in previous GTA games.
“Lucia had to be someone who wanted a better life for herself, and wouldn't let the obstacles in the way of that life stop her from getting it..”
Lucia: Ambition for a Legendary Heroine
The studio isn’t hiding its intentions: the goal is for Lucia to be compared to Niko Bellic and Arthur Morgan, two of Rockstar’s most iconic protagonists.
She was written with an immigrant background and designed as someone who grew up around Liberty City. Determined to build herself a better life, she refuses to let obstacles stand in her way.
Jason: Circumstances, Not a Political Message
Rockstar clarifies that Jason’s story is not intended as a political statement about his military background. It’s his circumstances that push him into drug trafficking and bank heists, though players will be able to influence some of his choices.
A Complementary Duo, Guided by Raul
Jason and Lucia have been purposefully designed to complement each other.
Around them, Raul plays the role of an older mentor. He draws them into bigger criminal jobs and shares his knowledge of Vice City’s criminal world.
A Story “Full of Hope and Naivety”
To sum up the basic premise, Rockstar describes something “full of hope and naïveté” in the tale of these two young criminals on the run, pushing their criminal spree to its limits.
This interview with Love Magazine confirms Rockstar’s approach: deep fieldwork in Florida, a world made to always feel alive, and two protagonists built to work together. Time will tell how it all translates to gameplay.
Source : lovemagazine