GTA 6 will get a Pokedex-style wildlife bestiary
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Rockstar Games is building an animal registration system for GTA 6 that both eyewitnesses of a closed showing and independent journalists are comparing to Pokedex from the Pokemon series. At the zoo, or simply out in the wild, Jason and Lucia will be able to study animals, and each newly found one will be checked off a dedicated compendium list — a mechanic borrowed from Red Dead Redemption 2.
How studying animals works
According to IGN’s exclusive report, at the zoo or out in the wild, the player can study animals, and each newly encountered one is checked off a list. This system, according to journalists, comes directly from Red Dead Redemption 2, where a similar compendium tracked every animal Arthur Morgan came across. In GTA 6, that same principle appears to have been carried over to the much larger territory of Leonida — and applied to both playable leads, Jason and Lucia. A detailed rundown of species already shown in trailers is collected in a separate GTA 6 wildlife guide.
Blogger El Rubius’s story and Rob Nelson’s words
The most detailed account of the mechanic came from Spanish blogger El Rubius, who was invited to an exclusive closed showing of the game at Rockstar North’s studio. According to him, during the presentation he was personally told that GTA 6 would feature a kind of bestiary or Pokedex where players could log every animal they come across. That detail was shared with the blogger by Rob Nelson — Rockstar North’s co-studio head of development, who has previously spoken publicly to journalists about GTA 6’s scale. The fact that it was Nelson himself confirming the system at a closed showing, rather than an anonymous source or a leak, is the main reason this detail can be reported as fact rather than rumor.
IGN confirms independently
That same detail didn’t remain just one blogger’s account. IGN’s exclusive report confirmed the same thing in different words: Jason and Lucia will have a list of animals they can study, and every time they do, their compendium expands. In other words, two independent outlets — GameRant, which relayed El Rubius’s account, and IGN itself, which had access to an exclusive preview — describe the same mechanic from different angles. Earlier gameplay details that surfaced ahead of official showings were also covered through leaked GTA 6 clips, but this time the information comes from officially confirmed material rather than a leak.
Dogs can be studied too — and petted
Within that same world-interaction system, IGN separately confirmed another pleasant detail: dogs in GTA 6 can be petted, or scolded if the player picks a harsher line of behavior. Formally, it’s the same animal-interaction mechanic as registering species in the compendium, just applied to domestic rather than wild animals.
How it echoes Red Dead Redemption 2
The comparison to Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t accidental: Leonida’s map, according to journalists’ preliminary estimates, is three times bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2’s map, meaning there’s considerably more room for wildlife in GTA 6. If the studio really did carry the animal compendium over from its previous game onto that much larger territory, the list of registrable species could end up noticeably longer than in Red Dead Redemption 2 — though Rockstar hasn’t officially stated an exact number of species.
Why this isn’t a rumor
This piece is published without a rumor label because it doesn’t rest on an anonymous leak but on direct remarks from two independent sources: a blogger’s personal account of what a studio co-head told him, and IGN’s own exclusive report. Both sources describe the same mechanic — registering studied animals on a list — independently of each other.
What it means for players
For players, the wildlife bestiary is an extra incentive to explore Leonida beyond the main storyline: zoos, swamps, and coastline become places where you can not just admire the scenery but also check off another entry in the compendium. Combined with the ability to pet (or scold) dogs, it makes interacting with the world feel a bit more alive than simply watching fauna from a distance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the bestiary or Pokedex in GTA 6? It’s an animal registration system: at the zoo or out in the wild, the player can study animals, and each newly found one is checked off in a dedicated compendium list.
Where does this mechanic come from? According to IGN, it’s derived from Red Dead Redemption 2, where a similar compendium tracked every animal encountered.
Who confirmed this system exists? Blogger El Rubius said that during an exclusive closed showing at Rockstar North, Rob Nelson personally told him about it. IGN’s exclusive report confirmed the same detail independently.
Can you pet dogs in GTA 6? Yes, IGN confirmed dogs can be petted, or scolded if the player chooses a harsher line of behavior — part of the same animal-interaction system.
How many animal species will the compendium include? The exact number hasn’t been officially confirmed. The species already shown in trailers are listed in a dedicated GTA 6 wildlife guide.
Is this an officially confirmed feature or a rumor? It’s a confirmed detail: it rests on direct remarks from a Rockstar North co-studio head, independently confirmed by two sources — an eyewitness blogger and IGN’s exclusive report.
In short
Rockstar is building an animal registration system for GTA 6 that journalists and eyewitnesses compare to Pokedex: at the zoo or out in the wild, the player studies animals, and each new one is checked off a compendium list — a mechanic borrowed from Red Dead Redemption 2. Blogger El Rubius heard about it personally from Rob Nelson at a closed showing at Rockstar North, and IGN’s exclusive report independently confirmed the same detail. Within that same world-interaction system, players can pet or scold dogs. The exact number of registrable animal species hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the bestiary or Pokedex in GTA 6?
It's an animal registration system: at the zoo or out in the wild, the player can study animals, and each newly found one is checked off in a dedicated compendium list.
Where does this mechanic come from?
According to IGN, it's derived from Red Dead Redemption 2, where a similar compendium tracked every animal encountered.
Who confirmed this system exists?
Blogger El Rubius said that during an exclusive closed showing at Rockstar North, Rob Nelson personally told him about it. IGN's exclusive report confirmed the same detail independently.
Can you pet dogs in GTA 6?
Yes, IGN confirmed dogs can be petted, or scolded if the player chooses a harsher line of behavior — part of the same animal-interaction system.
How many animal species will the compendium include?
The exact number hasn't been officially confirmed. The species already shown in trailers are listed in a dedicated GTA 6 wildlife guide.
Is this an officially confirmed feature or a rumor?
It's a confirmed detail: it rests on direct remarks from a Rockstar North co-studio head, independently confirmed by two sources — an eyewitness blogger and IGN's exclusive report.