GTA 6 Fishing Is Catch-and-Release Only, Hunting Pays: Rockstar's Rob Nelson Shares New Details

Fishing in Grand Theft Auto VI will be strictly catch-and-release — players can cast a line and reel in their catch, but they will not be keeping any fish. The detail comes from Rockstar North's Rob Nelson, who spoke about the game's outdoor activities in an interview with YouTuber TGG, published on 3 September 2026.

Nelson, a senior figure at the Edinburgh-based studio, explained that a full fishing economy — catching fish to sell or keep — "didn't fit this game." Instead, fishing is framed as a leisure activity. Players can complete fishing-related challenges and build up collectibles tied to the system, but the fish themselves go back in the water.

Hunting, by contrast, is a money-making activity. Nelson confirmed that players can earn in-game currency through hunting, positioning it as one of several ways to generate income in GTA 6's open world. The hunting system is unlocked through a friend-of-a-friend connection: a character who knows Jason — one of GTA 6's two protagonists, played alongside Lucia — introduces the player to the mechanic. This friend character has not yet appeared in any of Rockstar's released footage.

The interview also revealed that GTA 6 borrows a creature-inspection system from Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar's 2018 open-world western. In that game, players could study and examine animals in detail, gaining information about the species. GTA 6 adapts the feature for its own wildlife, letting players inspect creatures they encounter — not just game animals, but domestic ones too. Dogs in GTA 6 can be petted, scolded, and inspected, according to the same interview.

For fans, the details paint a picture of a game leaning hard into environmental detail and side activities. Red Dead Redemption 2's creature-inspection mechanic was widely praised for the depth it added to its world, and its adaptation into GTA 6 suggests Rockstar is carrying over systems that resonated with players — this time into a contemporary Florida-inspired setting rather than the 19th-century frontier.

The fishing and hunting details are the latest in a slow drip of information from Rockstar, which has kept publicity for GTA 6 tightly controlled since the first trailer debuted. Rockstar has not announced a specific release date beyond a 2026 window for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC release expected to follow.