Fishing and hunting in GTA 6

Fishing: just as deep, but you let it go

Asked how deep the system runs, Rob Nelson says fishing is as detailed as in Red Dead Redemption 2, but that you cannot take the fish with you, "because it didn't fit this game". His exact words: "the fishing is as in-depth as Red Dead 2, but you can't take the fish with you because it didn't fit this game. So, it's catch and release."

Catch and release, then. The act of fishing exists; the catch does not stay.

Asked what fishing is for if it neither feeds you nor pays, the answer is: "fishing is for fun and some narrative stuff, collectibles, challenge stuff."

Hunting: that one pays

The same answer separates the two activities: "Hunting is for money, and it's through a character that knows Jason."

Two things follow. Hunting is a source of income, like other activities in the game. And it does not open on its own: a character introduces it, and that character is not named.

That character has not been shown anywhere. Neither their name, nor their appearance, nor when you meet them has been published.

Where this comes from, and what it is worth

The publisher held a closed-door session at its Edinburgh studio in July 2026. It was watched, not played: nobody outside the studio has had the game in hand. A handful of outlets attended, among them the channel TGG.

The sentences quoted above are written answers from Rob Nelson to questions put afterwards, published on 3 September 2026. So this is not a press release, not a product page, not an official post: it is reported speech.

That distinction changes what you can do with it. The facts are attributed and dated, which is solid. But no official transcript exists, and the publisher has published nothing of its own about these two activities.

What is not said

No list of species, fish or animals, has been published. The lists going around are assembled from screenshots and trailers, not from a source at the publisher.

No amounts. We know hunting pays; not how much, nor compared with what.

No detail on how it works: not the tools, not the locations, not whether the quality of a catch matters. On that last point, several press write-ups add that you will be able to "inspect" animals. That sentence is not in the source we read, so it is not repeated here.

Frequently asked questions

Can you keep the fish in GTA 6?

No, according to the head of development: fishing is catch and release. His stated reason is that keeping the fish "didn't fit this game".

Is fishing as detailed as in Red Dead Redemption 2?

That is what is said, word for word: "as in-depth as Red Dead 2". The difference is what happens to the catch, not the act itself.

What is the point of fishing if you keep nothing?

Fun, some narrative material, collectibles and challenges. That is the answer given, and it does not mention money.

Does hunting earn money?

Yes. That is the explicit difference between the two: fishing is for fun, hunting is for money.

How is hunting unlocked?

Through a character who knows Jason. That character is not named, and has not been shown anywhere.

Is this official?

It is attributed and dated, but it is not a press release. These are answers from Rockstar North's head of development, published by an outlet that attended the closed-door session of July 2026. The publisher has published nothing of its own about these two activities.