GTA 6 doubled studio size, hired fashion stylists and race car drivers
Rockstar Games has revealed a massive production push for Grand Theft Auto VI. According to IGN, the studio doubled its total workforce after Red Dead Redemption 2 launched, which would mean growing from about 2,000 people to roughly 4,000. A new Los Angeles office is reportedly focused almost entirely on creating the game's civilian population.
The expansion wasn't just for coders. The company brought in real-world experts as full-time staff. A Miami-based stylist named Jillian Carr was hired in 2023 to build a detailed fashion system for the game's setting of Vice City. "Vice City is built around vanity," Carr told Dazed magazine, per IGN, noting the importance of social media and quick trend cycles.
Rockstar also employed professional race car drivers to tune vehicle handling and brought on dozens of actual graffiti artists to create the wall art seen around the map, PC Gamer reports.
New gameplay details confirm a shift toward RPG-style mechanics. IGN reports that eating will change character weight, exercising alters physique, and skipping sleep affects appearance. The ability to swap between protagonists Jason and Lucia returns from GTA V, but with a twist. PC Gamer notes players can choose to operate as a pair or split up to wreak havoc alone, and can even switch while both are in a moving car.
A key focus is the central love story. Kotaku summarizes that player choices will impact Jason and Lucia's bond, with repercussions described as cutting deeper than the honor system in Red Dead Redemption. An extended look at the game is scheduled for release on Netflix.
