Animals That Need To Be In The Game

While the natural world hasn’t always been a part of the Grand Theft Auto series, each game has introduced more of a sophisticated natural environment into the simulation, and the trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 showed off an impressive assortment of creatures and wildlife, including flamingos, ducks, dolphins, and dogs.

With GTA 6 being delayed and set to release in May 2026, fans might be wondering what other kind of critters Rockstar might add between now and then to befriend, or mercilessly hunt down and skin for sustenance or pleasure. Since Leonida takes great inspiration from real-life Florida, known (amongst other things) for its exotic and dangerous fauna, there are endless possibilities for animal action.

Fishable Fish

Taking Time Out From Crime (To Sit By The Fishing Line)

The idea that Grand Theft Auto 6’s oceans could be devoid of fish is absurd. However, while ambient schools are basically guaranteed, some open-world simulation fans are wondering whether they will be able to cast a line out into any of Leonida’s rivers, beaches, oceans, or swamps and feel a fat one pulling on the other end, or in other words, whether there will be a fishing mini-game in the open world.

Rockstar dabbled in fishing mechanics before with Red Dead Redemption 2, and adding a similar system to GTA 6 could offer a surprisingly serene counterbalance to all the expected mayhem, especially if rare catches or underwater secrets are tied to specific locations.

Pettable Dogs

Four-Legged Friends In The State Of Leonida

Dogs and pets have been in Grand Theft Auto for a while, and there are a couple of hints at dogs in GTA 6’s trailer, including what looks to be a chihuahua strolling along a sun-soaked Vice Beach, as well as an easily missed poster of Chop (or some other rottweiler) on a wall during a police raid.

Dogs would not be new to the GTA series, but the big question is: will any of these dogs be pettable? Will players be able to reach down and touch friendly fuzz with a button press, get chased or bitten by rabbid dogs, or will the four-legged fuzzsters be ambient only, or will players be able to adopt a dog, like Franklin had in Grand Theft Auto 5?

Huntable Boars

Going Hog Wild For Wild Hogs

Who doesn’t love a wild, squealing pig? Boars featured in GTA 5, but with hunting being such a big part of Red Dead Redemption 2, it would make sense for boars to make a regular appearance out in Leonida’s swamps and glades, as they would in real-life Florida, as hunting targets with associated achievements or rewards.

Whether the survival aspects will make a reappearance is hard to say, given the more modern setting. However, as hog hunting as a sport is still alive and kicking today, it is likely that hunting will be able to get their piggy-fix in GTA 6. If not, many fans are going to squeal.

Squeezable Pythons

Wrestling With Dangerous Snakes In The Everglades

One of the most iconic moments in the GTA 6 trailer is CCTV footage of the gator crawling into the convenience store. Since there are bound to be (hopefully deadly) American alligators in the open world, another highly-hoped-for reptile is the snake.

Specifically, a python, which is known for strangling their victims to death with an unbreakable squeeze. While dogs would likely take the top spot for an in-game pet, snake pets seem perfectly in line with the “Florida man” archetype and would fit right in (the back seat of a car, a toilet pipe, or a police station).

Big Cats

The Ultimate Predator (Or Flex Pet)

If there’s one animal that screams both “apex predator” and “questionable pet ownership,” it’s a big cat. Given Florida’s real-life obsession with exotic animals (i.e., Tiger King), the inclusion of panthers, cougars, or even full-blown tigers in GTA 6 wouldn’t just be plausible but expected.

Cougars were in GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, so Rockstar evidently has the code and animation chops. The Florida panther would make an incredible ambient predator for swamp or forest biomes. Its status as an endangered species would make it even more appealing for GTA fans, who tend to treat conservation lists like unlockable achievements.

Ridable Horses

Having Equestrian Adventures Across Leonida

The idea of riding horses around a modern-day world built for motors surrounded by swamps may sound absurd on the surface, but Florida, Leonida’s real-life inspiration, might be considered America’s capital of equestrian activity, with Wellington’s Olympic-level polo and equestrian shows and Ocala’s Florida Horse Park being hotspots for riders and racers.

Since the release of GTA 5, there have been rumors that horses were meant to feature in Blaine County, but were cut for time. Since Rockstar perfected horse technology in RDR 2, it would be hardly surprising if GTA 6’s world featured rideable horses, but a devastating missed opportunity without them.

The Myth, The Legend, The Easter Egg

Technically speaking, Bigfoot is more of a mythical creature than an animal (at least according to most credible zoologists), but GTA has a long history with this elusive figure, reaching all the way back to GTA: San Andreas.

Bigfoot (kind of) made an appearance to players as a reward for 100% completion of GTA 5, but even a hint here or there about the Sasquatch family would be a nice nod to a long-running gag that went from being an easter egg to an online gaming conspiracy.