Another drop of info for the Grand Theft Auto VI and this time it’s about the way you listen to the music.
The GTA series since the first game has in-world radio stations you can listen to when in vehicles, like the result after committing the namesake crime. By GTA III, licensed music from artists all around the world becomes a core identity for the open world crime game.
New to GTA VI is that radio stations, and podcasts, can be listened not just when in a vehicle. Protagonists Jason and Lucia can listen to them on foot thanks to the magical technology of headphones and earbuds connected to smartphones. We see them rocking such accessories in the Extended Look trailer.
The last big open world game to have this feature was Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 released in 2016 where the protagonist physically equip a pair of wired buds to listen to the same radio stations through the smartphone. Then again, there hasn’t been many urban open world games of this kind in recent years, and not many that attempt to replicate it at the scale and detail of a Grand Theft Auto since a decade.
The first six radio stations for GTA VI has been revealed, showing a commitment in highlighting the vast variety of music genre and surrounding culture: each station not only has a logo, but an accompanying art piece. A two-minute sampler of the radio stations, each having DJs and idents that highlights the music genre culture, or the culture of Vice City, Leonida.
Fans of GTA Vice City will be glad to know that Flash FM is still on the air since 50 years ago, and still playing the pop music of the current present. Meanwhile, Latin music gets a more glamorous spot with Cocoteo FM, reflecting the large Latino population of the fictional city based on Miami, Florida.
Here’s a summary of the first six revealed radio stations for GTA VI, which developer Rockstar Games describe the radio stations as “the biggest and widest-ranging selection of in-game radio yet.” For context, GTA V at launch had over 20 different radio stations at launch, with more added post-launch and for GTA Online, so there’s more music playlists still kept under wrap, plus we haven’t heard any of the talk shows yet, which will be coming as well.
- Cocoteo FM: Cocoteo FM is Leonida’s home for the best of modern Latin music. Hosted by El Martillo and La Gata and featuring everything from bachata and merengue to dembow and reggaeton — Cocoteo FM is el party que nunca se apaga.
- Back Country Radio: MW and Delta Dawne blast renegade country music to the Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, and beyond. Stay tuned for Back Country’s roving reporter, swamp meteorologist, and Delta’s not-so-secret lover Mud Dog Mike checking in from the driver’s seat of his Grassrivers airboat.
- AfroBank FM: Turn up the gbedu with Burna and Palmsy, AfroBank FM’s dynamic duo curating the best in African music, from 20th-century classics and undiscovered gems to contemporary sounds like amapiano, 3-step, and more.
- The Chamber 106.6: Crushing metal has landed in Leonida. Jump in the pit with DJ Kerry and DJ Tom for classic metal from the ‘80s and beyond as they channel Leonida’s deep metal roots.
- Flash FM: The Vice City institution that delivers the best in pop music with Robyn and Alex — guaranteed to make you dance no matter where you find yourself in the Goodtime State.
- Dirty South Classics: A little southern hospitality from Trick and Trina, blasting regional rap and hip-hop classics. From the beach to the block, nobody reps Leonida and the South like they do.
Rockstar previously revealed a sample of new, original songs composed by established artists that will be coming to the game and sold as an album. Those songs will likely slot into some of these radio stations.
Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There will be no discs, as all copies are effectively digital (physical boxes available at retailers come with a download code).