GTA 6 news · 11 November 2026

GTA 6 devs made research trips to Miami, Rockstar says

Rockstar developers began taking field research trips to Miami in 2015 to study the city for GTA 6, lead Rob Nelson told the Guardian in an interview published on 11 November 2026. He said the team immersed itself in the place and its history before moving on to more organised research trips.

What did Rockstar say about Miami research trips for GTA 6?

Rockstar developers travelled to Miami to do field research for GTA 6, with the first trips taking place in 2015, lead developer Rob Nelson told the Guardian. The interview was published on 11 November 2026 as part of a piece on how the game's world was built.

Nelson described how the work began. Before the studio ran what he called hyper-organised research trips, the team spent time soaking up the city and its history, along with what he called the vibe of it. That early groundwork came before the more structured visits.

How did the trips shape GTA 6's version of Florida?

The Guardian's piece looks at how years of research fed into the detail of the game's virtual Florida. Nelson's comments put real-world Miami at the centre of that effort, with developers visiting in person rather than relying only on reference material.

The interview gives players a named Rockstar lead explaining part of the studio's process. It is a new detail about how the game's setting was put together, separate from the trailers and announcements that have shown the world itself.