Rockstar's Rupert Humphries tells Game Informer the team researched Florida with ex-cops and night trips

Rockstar's senior vice president of narrative, Rupert Humphries, told Game Informer that the studio's research trips to Florida took in everything from riding around at night with ex-cops to clubs, beaches and swamps, GamesRadar+ reported on September 29, 2026.

GamesRadar+ quoted Humphries directly. "We go and try to experience everything," he said, "from riding around areas at night with ex-cops, to going to strip clubs and nightclubs, spending time on the beach, in the Everglades, down in the Keys, and beyond." GamesRadar+ said the team has made many such trips over the years to gather reference material.

Humphries also spoke about how the research feeds the story. "We don't have time to take you everywhere, but we want you to be able to explore and get a feel for most of the places, cultures, and vibes," he said, as GamesRadar+ quoted him. He added that the game and its stories "thrive in an environment where you have rich people and poor people right next door to each other," and that "crime and corruption is the thread that pulls everyone together."

The outlet noted that GTA development is led by Rockstar North in Edinburgh, and tied the trips to Leonida and Vice City, whose real-life inspirations are Florida and Miami. That link between real places and the game's regions is GamesRadar+'s reading of the research, built on what Humphries said about Florida.

We read GamesRadar+'s write-up, not the full Game Informer interview, so the quotes above are as that outlet reproduced them. Rockstar has not said which trips shaped which parts of the map, or how many people went on them.