USBrief

We don’t bury the lede.

Back to Entertainment briefing Entertainment

GTA 6 writers share how they built Lucia, Jason and a world with 'no background'

Rockstar Games used a new LOVE magazine interview to explain GTA 6's two leads and its crowded open world, six weeks before the game's Nov. 19 release.

By US Brief desk · Updated 2026-10-05T15:10:00-07:00

AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below

Front entrance of the Rockstar North studio building in Edinburgh, with the studio's name above the glass doors

What happened

Rockstar Games has shared new details about Grand Theft Auto VI in issue 27 of LOVE, a British fashion magazine that went on sale Monday. The issue puts the game's two leads, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, on the cover and includes new screenshots and interviews with the game's writers, according to Polygon and VICE.

Writer Alexa D'Agostino said she based Lucia partly on her own mother, an immigrant who grew up in Newark, N.J., "close to Lucia's hometown of Liberty City." She told the magazine the goal was "a woman that can stand tall next to the likes of Arthur Morgan and Niko Bellic," the stars of Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA IV. VICE reports LOVE calls Lucia the series' first playable female lead with her own voice and backstory.

Rockstar describes the pair as opposites. Lucia is driven to build a better life, while Jason mostly reacts to what happens around him. Polygon reports both are new to bank heists and drug deals, and players will shape how Jason responds to his own crimes. A character named Raul plays "an older mentor" who knows Vice City's criminal world, RockstarINTEL reports.

Why it matters

GTA VI is one of the year's most anticipated games, and this is one of the last big looks before launch. It comes out Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for $79.99, with pre-loading from Nov. 12, according to Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company. Take-Two said in August that the date is on track. Rockstar North in Edinburgh leads work on the series.

More context

The writers also described the game's world, Leonida, which is based on Florida. Rockstar sent teams around Florida to study its places, people and culture, Polygon reports. A new Los Angeles team wrote only pedestrian dialogue. "In a way, there's no 'background' in this game," writing director James Horton said. "There's just foreground you're not paying attention to right now."

Rupert Humphries, Rockstar's senior vice president of narrative, said the world includes election signs, campaign robocalls and political talk radio. He said the story still chases the American Dream, but a smaller one: "It's a house for your family and your loans paid off instead of wild success."

6 listed sources

References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.

Editorial sourcing notes

Based on gaming press reports of LOVE issue 27, which went on sale Oct. 5. US Brief has not seen the magazine; quotes are as relayed by Polygon and RockstarINTEL. Rockstar has not posted the full interview itself.

Like US Brief? You can support it with a tip.