Grand Theft Auto 6 is bringing a surprisingly detailed wildlife system to Leonida, and hunting is shaping up to be one of the game’s more substantial side activities. While the image claims that GTA 6 will feature a hunting system similar to Red Dead Redemption 2, the latest information gives us a more specific picture of how Rockstar is adapting the idea for its modern crime sandbox.
Hunting is confirmed as part of GTA 6’s activity lineup, and Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson has explained that it will have a direct financial purpose. According to reporting based on his September 2026 comments, players can use hunting as a way to make money, with the activity introduced through a character who knows Jason Duval.
That makes hunting different from fishing, which is designed around catch-and-release gameplay, challenges and collectibles rather than selling the catch.
Hunting Is More Than Just Shooting Animals
One of the biggest differences between GTA 6 and older entries is the amount of attention Rockstar is giving to wildlife.
In previous GTA games, animals were generally background elements or relatively simple world interactions. GTA 6 appears to be moving toward a system where players can actually study and inspect wildlife, making animals part of the exploration experience rather than simply targets.
The inspection interaction is particularly notable because it recalls Red Dead Redemption 2, where studying animals contributes to a much deeper wildlife-compendium system. Current GTA 6 reporting indicates that inspecting animals is also part of Leonida’s wildlife interactions.
However, that does not mean GTA 6 is simply importing RDR2’s entire hunting system.
How GTA 6 Hunting Could Differ From RDR2
RDR2 built hunting into several interconnected systems. Animals could be tracked, killed, skinned and used for different purposes, with hunting fitting naturally into the game’s frontier setting.
GTA 6 takes place in a completely different world.
Jason and Lucia live in a contemporary version of Florida, where hunting is an optional activity rather than an essential part of survival. Rockstar therefore appears to be giving the system a more GTA-style purpose.
The clearest confirmed difference is economic: hunting can make money. Fishing, by contrast, does not appear to function as a conventional income source.
Rockstar has not yet confirmed whether hunted animals will provide collectible pelts, meat, crafting materials or other physical resources.
Hunting Can Be Used to Make Money
This is currently one of the strongest details about the GTA 6 hunting system.
Rob Nelson reportedly explained that hunting is one of the activities players can use to earn money. It is also not simply an activity that appears immediately as a generic map icon. Instead, it is introduced through a character who knows Jason. The character’s identity has not yet been publicly revealed.
This fits Rockstar’s broader approach to GTA 6’s optional activities.
Rather than presenting every feature as a standalone minigame, the developers appear to be connecting activities to characters, locations and the wider world.
That could make hunting feel more like something Jason discovers naturally during his life in Leonida.
Mount Kalaga Could Be a Major Hunting Location
Rockstar has already identified Mount Kalaga National Park as one of Leonida’s major wilderness areas.
The official GTA 6 material describes Mount Kalaga as a northern region offering hunting, fishing and off-road trails.
That makes the location particularly important for players interested in wildlife activities.
The region also gives Rockstar an opportunity to create a sharp contrast with Vice City’s dense urban environment. Instead of skyscrapers, nightlife and traffic, players can head into forests, trails and natural habitats.
Recent location coverage specifically highlights deer and mountain lions in the Mount Kalaga area.
GTA 6 Wildlife Is Becoming a Bigger Part of the World
Hunting is only one part of a much larger wildlife system.
GTA 6’s official Extended Look showed a wide range of environments, while Rockstar’s official media library now contains dozens of screenshots and gameplay assets from Leonida.
Animals can also be interacted with outside hunting. Current reporting points to an inspection/study mechanic that lets players examine wildlife rather than simply attacking it.
This is another area where RDR2’s influence can be seen without assuming that every mechanic is identical.
The result could be a world where wildlife exists independently of the main story and gives players another reason to explore areas away from Vice City.
Will GTA 6 Have RDR2-Style Tracking and Crafting?
This is where expectations should remain realistic.
There is no confirmed full list of hunting mechanics yet.
Rockstar has not officially detailed whether GTA 6 will include:
- A complete animal-tracking system
- Legendary animals
- Animal pelts
- Hunting-based crafting
- Meat preparation
- Trophy hunting
- Hunting-specific equipment
- A full wildlife compendium identical to RDR2
Some of these ideas are being discussed by the community because of RDR2 comparisons, but they should not be presented as confirmed features.
What we know is more limited: hunting exists, it can make money, it is connected to a character who knows Jason, and GTA 6 has an animal inspection system that echoes ideas from RDR2.
Why Hunting Fits GTA 6’s Open World
The biggest advantage of adding hunting is that it gives Leonida more reasons to explore.
GTA 6 is not limited to Vice City’s streets. Rockstar has built a state containing cities, rural communities, wetlands, islands and wilderness areas. The official GTA 6 website describes the story as extending across the state of Leonida.
Hunting can therefore act as a bridge between the urban and rural sides of the game.
A player might spend one session planning a robbery in Vice City and the next exploring Mount Kalaga for wildlife and money. That variety fits Rockstar’s goal of creating interconnected systems rather than a world that exists only to move players from one mission to another.
GTA 6 Hunting System: What We Know
The current information can be summarized like this:
- Hunting is confirmed: it is part of GTA 6’s side-activity ecosystem.
- Hunting can make money: reported from Rob Nelson’s comments.
- A character introduces the activity: the character knows Jason but has not been publicly identified.
- Wildlife can be inspected/studied: this is one of the clearest RDR2-style elements reported for GTA 6.
- Mount Kalaga offers hunting: Rockstar’s location information specifically identifies hunting there.
- Exact RDR2-style crafting and tracking: not fully confirmed.
GTA 6 is currently scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar’s official website continues to list that date and those platforms.
GTA 6 latest news – GTA 6 Lucia Sparks “Woke” Debate Over Her Strength and Role