The GTA 6 trailer Breakdown

Well, well, well…

Shortly before the scheduled premiere of GTA VI’s first trailer, an account that has since been suspended leaked the trailer on X (formerly Twitter). Despite the original plan for the trailer to debut on Tuesday, December 5th, Rockstar Games promptly responded by releasing the full trailer on its official YouTube channel.

Ten years in the making, GTA VI’s first trailer could have been anything, but what we got were confirmations of leaks we have seen over the past two years, numerous details have gradually emerged about GTA VI, revealing a Vice City setting and the series’s first female protagonist with a story inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. The trailer confirms a 2025 release date, and Rockstar’s press release has clarified that the game will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025.

I have been watching the GTA 6 trailer over and over again, and here is everything I have spotted. So here goes.

The GTA 6 trailer Breakdown:

Image credit: Rockstar Games

2. Major Vice City Vibes with Vice City possibly being just one part of a larger GTA 6 map
Get your  Hawaiian shirts out, but think Miami/Florida… cause that’s the Vibe!

The 90-second trailer confirms various location names through road signs and news reports. Previous leaks hinted at “Leonida” as the potential state in GTA 6, and the trailer solidifies this with mentions of a ‘Leonida man’ and peculiar incidents, reminiscent of the ‘Florida Man’ meme. Signage indicates Kelly County, Catalan Boulevard, VCI airport, Vice Beaches, Port VC/Keys, Stockyard, and Downtown as potential areas. Despite a significantly expanded map from the original Vice City, certain shots showcase updated versions of Starfish Island and the original Ocean Beach area from the 2002 visit.

3. Vehicles galore and  a whole lot of different ones!
As expected any creation from Rockstar would offer a wide array of vehicles for the inevitable joyriding experience. It is Grant Theft Auto after all.

Even in this brief 90-second trailer, there’s an abundance to observe. Here’s a quick rundown of the vehicles spotted so far: jumbo jets, speed boats, trucks, boat-towing cars, yachts, jet skis, quad bikes, biplanes, helicopters, hover boats, amphibious helicopters, cargo ships, motorbikes, cruise ships, seaplanes, monster trucks, along with a variety of sports cars, pick-up trucks, minivans, vans, and other conventional vehicles.
And looks like there’s loads of stuff to do in Vice City and further afield.

4. There’s alot of wildlife here – from dogs to alligators
If GTA 6 replicates the entirety of Florida and Miami, there’s a possibility of encountering a wildlife experience which I would love to see similar to that of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Some animals I’ve seen from the trailer include dogs, a tiny chihuahua on the beach, and various animals like flamingos, alligators, dolphins, and sharks. The presence of an airboat in the Florida everglades strongly suggests a diverse habitat, potentially featuring other wildlife like panthers, bears, deer, manatees, and more, promising a rich and varied animal population in the game.

Unlike GTA 5, released in 2013, which featured social media parodies of Facebook and Twitter, GTA 6 introduces a TikTok-like video-sharing platform referenced throughout the trailer. Viral videos become integral, showcasing scenes such as yacht parties, an engineer retrieving a live alligator from a pool, and an enthusiastic woman twerking on a moving car, complete with emojis and a celebratory #have.a.vice.day. NPCs in the trailer appear to react to being filmed, suggesting a potential interactive element. While the extent of street filming freedom remains uncertain, the trailer unmistakably places Vice City in the here and now!

6. Seems like we’ve got three factions / gangs confirmed already
The trailer shows three distinct factions: Thrillbilly Mud Club and High Rollerz Lifestyle are explicitly named.

The Thrillbilly Mud Club seems to be a mud racing group using dirt trucks, while High Rollerz Lifestyle is a street racing group featuring high-performance cars. Additionally, there’s a group of cyclists and ATV riders racing together, resembling a gang. A news bulletin mentions a dirt bike gang described as “terrorizing dirt city.” Here we go again!

7. Is there a first-person mode? 
A short snippet resembling body cam footage suggests a potential first-person mode, although it remains uncertain if it’s part of the gameplay or just a news clip.

The footage depicts a police raid on a house, seemingly unrelated to the main characters unless there’s a significant backstory twist. The inherent first-person perspective of body cam footage adds to the ambiguity. Considering GTA 5 introduced a first-person mode in 2014, there’s speculation that this might be a teaser for a similar option in GTA 6.

I’ve watched and re-watched our first proper glimpse of modern day Vice City dozens of times already, all I know is 2025 can’t come soon enough.

GG’s