GTA VI's development follows eight-week milestones. The Rockstar team integrates selected game content, evaluates its presentation, makes adjustments based on feedback, and then moves on to the next milestone.
In an interview with Love magazine, Rob Nelson, head of Rockstar North, said that many members of the series' development team have worked together for years and clearly understand their respective tasks. Production begins with establishing assets and systems, after which various development areas gradually build out the initial forms of content. Nelson stated that this multi-year effort requires the team to constantly adjust direction to find the feeling they want the final product to convey to players.
Lead Writer James Horton said there are no shortcuts to building a vast and diverse world. Even if players stop to listen to a snippet of street conversation, the details must be convincing. Rockstar also has a dedicated team in Los Angeles focused on non-player characters.
Rockstar's Aaron Garbut cited room furnishings as an example, stating that traces on tables, photos on walls, and the characteristics of the people in those photos were all carefully designed and crafted. The developers also visited strip clubs in Florida and rode along with police patrols to gather details for Vice City, which is based on Miami.
GTA VI will be released on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.