Grassrivers

Grassrivers is GTA 6's name for its Everglades-inspired wetland region, and from everything we've seen, it's going to be one of the most atmospherically dense environments Rockstar has ever created. The name itself is a direct translation of the Everglades' original description — a "river of grass" — and suggests Rockstar is leaning into the ecological reality of this unique landscape.

Trailer 2 provided our best look at Grassrivers, and it's breathtaking in a completely different way from Vice City. Where the city dazzles with neon and architecture, Grassrivers overwhelms with organic density and natural atmosphere. The vegetation rendering is a generational leap — individual sawgrass blades, cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, mangrove root systems, and water lilies all rendered with photorealistic fidelity. This isn't a flat swamp texture with some trees; it's a fully realized wetland ecosystem.

The water simulation in Grassrivers deserves special attention. Real Everglades water is shallow — often just inches deep — and flows slowly across vast limestone shelves. GTA 6 appears to capture this perfectly. We can see shallow water with visible bottom textures, deeper channels that serve as navigation routes, and the way vegetation partially submerges and emerges as water levels change. Dynamic weather likely affects water levels, potentially opening and closing access routes.

Wildlife is confirmed and appears to play a significant gameplay role. Alligators are clearly visible in multiple trailer shots — some basking on banks, others partially submerged in ambush positions. This isn't just scenery; these animals appear to pose genuine danger to the player, similar to predator encounters in Red Dead Redemption 2. Birds — herons, egrets, and what appears to be a bald eagle — populate the skies and treetops. Snakes may also be present based on a brief trailer flash.

The human element of Grassrivers is equally fascinating. We've spotted what appear to be isolated communities deep in the swamp — stilt houses, fishing camps, and possibly illegal operations hidden in the wilderness. This mirrors real Everglades history, where the vast inaccessible terrain has sheltered everyone from Seminole communities to moonshiners to drug runners. For GTA 6's criminal narrative, Grassrivers likely serves as a hideout zone, smuggling route, and location for off-the-grid missions.

Airboats are confirmed as vehicles and appear to be the primary traversal method in Grassrivers. The fan-propelled flat-bottomed boats can navigate shallow water that would strand conventional boats, making them perfect for the Everglades environment. Airboat chases through narrow waterways flanked by cypress trees could be some of the game's most exhilarating sequences.

The atmosphere at different times of day transforms Grassrivers completely. Dawn shots show mist rising off the water with golden light filtering through cypress canopy. Midday is harsh and bright, with heat shimmer visible over open marsh. Evening brings a purple-orange sunset that turns the water into a mirror. And night — night in Grassrivers looks genuinely terrifying, with darkness that the city never experiences, broken only by moonlight and the eyes of predators reflecting from the water's edge.