The anticipation surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 is unlike anything the series has seen before, and that says a lot. With Rockstar confirming a release date of May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, speculation about the game’s scale continues to grow. A recent leak has added fuel to the fire: GTA 6 may feature explorable underwater areas filled with treasure, danger, and secrets.
This possible addition would mark a significant shift for the franchise. Past entries have included water as an environment, but it has never played a major role in core gameplay. A fully interactive underwater space would expand GTA 6's world in a direction the series has never seriously pursued.
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Underwater Exploration History in GTA Games
Water in earlier Grand Theft Auto games often served as a boundary rather than a destination. In GTA 3, falling into deep water meant instant death. GTA San Andreas was the first to allow characters to swim and dive, offering a few hidden items and shipwrecks beneath the surface. GTA 4 reversed this progress, removing the ability to dive entirely. GTA 5 reintroduced diving and even included sharks, sunken planes, and collectibles, but these areas remained minor distractions rather than vital content.
If the leak proves accurate, GTA 6 could finally take underwater exploration seriously. The map’s rumored scale and tropical setting offer the perfect opportunity. Instead of shallow side content, these areas could feature hidden missions, enemy encounters, and environmental storytelling. Divers might discover a cartel's secret supply route or recover evidence tied to a larger narrative thread.
GTA Online players can access underwater wreckage during certain heists and missions, but these areas are typically one-off experiences. GTA 6 could turn underwater zones into full-fledged exploration spaces rather than limited set pieces.
GTA 6’s Environment Grows in Every Direction
Leaks also suggest that GTA 6 will feature over 700 enterable buildings, functioning malls, and a more advanced system for switching between characters. The verticality and variety of these elements point to a city that is alive at every level. Underwater areas would add even more depth, inviting players to explore above, below, and across a sprawling open world.
Vice City’s beachfront culture naturally lends itself to this kind of layered design. It would make sense for a game set in a Miami-inspired location to embrace the ocean as more than scenery. Yachts, jet skis, and submarines already exist in the series, but they have rarely mattered beyond travel. The idea of finding loot in coral reefs, navigating underwater tunnels, or escaping via submerged canals fits perfectly with the game’s evolving design.
Rockstar could use environmental cues like bubbles, sunken signage, or marine wildlife to draw players toward secrets in the ocean.
What Underwater Content Would Mean for GTA
The GTA series has always reflected the idea of a playable vacation layered with chaos, corruption, and satire. If GTA 6 turns the ocean into a major gameplay zone, it will further that fantasy while building on the series' legacy of world-building and freedom.
This would not be the first time Rockstar redefined expectations; GTA 5's character-switching mechanic reshaped how players approached missions, while San Andreas introduced weight gain, stamina systems, and even swimming when such things were rare in open-world games. A fully realized underwater ecosystem could bring a new type of immersion, one that few other open-world titles have managed successfully. Instead of treating the ocean as decorative, Rockstar appears ready to treat it as an extension of its core design philosophy. If done right, the waters of GTA 6 could offer as much story, reward, and gameplay value as any urban alleyway or penthouse suite.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
