GTA 6 Leaks: Fishing, Boats, and 3v3 Basketball Bring Next-Level Immersion to Vice City

Grand Theft Auto 6 is shaping up to be Rockstar’s most ambitious open-world experience yet, and recent leaks suggest that players will have an unprecedented variety of side activities to dive into. Among the most exciting revelations are comprehensive fishing mechanics with boat ownership, spearfishing capabilities, and a 3v3 basketball mini-game that could rival dedicated sports titles. With Vice City and the surrounding state of Leonida based on Florida’s diverse ecosystem, these activities feel perfectly suited to the environment Rockstar is building.

Fishing Takes Center Stage: A Fully Fleshed-Out System

Multiple Fishing Methods and Environments

Fishing isn’t just making a return from Red Dead Redemption 2—it’s getting a complete overhaul tailored to Vice City’s aquatic playground. According to multiple leaks and official screenshots, players will experience fishing across diverse environments including saltwater oceans, freshwater lakes, swamps of the Grassrivers, and the rivers around Mount Kalaga. Each location will feature its own ecosystem with varying fish species, creating an authentic Florida fishing experience.

The leaked gameplay footage from September 2022 revealed that GTA 6 will feature traditional rod-and-reel fishing, but the real game-changer is the addition of spearfishing. Players equipped with spearguns can hunt underwater for bigger fish, adding an active, skill-based element to the activity. This speargun has been confirmed through leaked footage and will launch tethered spears to impale marine animals and targets. Some reports even suggest the speargun will be used in story missions, including one where players must shoot a shark.

Boat Ownership and Open Water Exploration

Recent rumors from October 2025 hint that GTA 6 will allow players to purchase and own their own fishing boats, ranging from small kayaks and canoes to motorboats, pontoons, and luxury yachts. Players might even pay monthly marina fees to dock their vessels, creating an ongoing investment in their aquatic lifestyle. This would be a massive step up from previous GTA games, where boats were primarily temporary transportation.

One official screenshot shows protagonist Jason and his friend Cal casually fishing from what appears to be their personal boat, the “Lure Predator”—a 17-foot Boston Whaler-style vessel selling for around $10,000 in-game. This suggests fishing won’t just be a quick mini-game but rather a relaxing pastime that players can genuinely immerse themselves in between heists and missions.

Diverse Boat Selection

The confirmed boat lineup in GTA 6 is extensive, catering to every type of water enthusiast:

Small Watercraft:

• Speedophile Seashark (jet ski based on Sea-Doo models)
• Kayaks for peaceful river fishing
• Canoes for swamp exploration

Fishing and Recreational Boats:

• Lure Predator (17ft center console)
• 42 HCB luxury center console with multiple motors
• Various pontoon boats for leisurely fishing trips

Performance Vessels:

• Cigarette Top Gun 39 (offshore racing legend built for speed)
• Pegassi Speeder (sleek speedboat for coastal runs)
• Shitzu Squalo (high-performance watercraft)

Luxury Yachts:

• Dinka Marquis (mid-size yacht)
• Princess 82 Motor Yacht ($2-3 million, five cabins for overnight trips)
• Benetti 144 Super Yacht (the crown jewel at roughly $10 million)

The variety suggests that boat customization might also be possible, similar to car modifications at Los Santos Customs. One August 2025 leak specifically mentioned that players could customize boats at locations like Brian Heder’s boat works and marina, where workers were seen repairing and modifying vessels in Trailer 2.

Marine Ecosystem and Wildlife

GTA 6’s underwater world promises to be as detailed as the terrestrial environments in Red Dead Redemption 2. Leaked documents confirm a variety of marine species including small fish, turtles, stingrays, dolphins, and multiple types of sharks. These aren’t just visual props—they’ll have behaviors, feeding cycles, and predator-prey interactions.

Players might encounter sharks attacking swimmers or NPC boats, dolphins traveling in pods and following your vessel, and specific fish appearing only at certain times of day or weather conditions. You may even be able to photograph marine animals, hunt them, or catch them as part of a fully simulated ecosystem. Some fish species will be rarer than others, creating a collecting incentive similar to the legendary animals in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Fishing-Related Threats

While fishing offers relaxation, the Florida-inspired wilderness brings danger. Leonida is confirmed to be home to sharks and alligators, and leaked footage shows players encountering aggressive marine predators. One mission reportedly involves using the speargun to defend against a shark attack. The combination of peaceful fishing and sudden danger creates tension that fits perfectly with GTA’s unpredictable nature.

3v3 Basketball: Taking It to the Courts

Confirmed Through Multiple Sources

Basketball has been heavily rumored since the release of Trailer 2 and the accompanying screenshots in May 2025. One official image clearly shows a group of players “tearing it up” on a basketball court in Vice City, with another screenshot revealing Jason and Cal shooting hoops. The basketball courts aren’t just environmental decoration—multiple sources indicate they’ll be fully playable.

The leaks suggest a 3v3 basketball mini-game mode, though some speculation points to potential 5v5 park games as well. This would allow players to join pickup games, compete against NPCs, or challenge friends online. While the gameplay likely won’t match the depth of NBA 2K, the community is already joking that “the basketball mechanics will surpass those in 2K” given the recent quality decline of dedicated basketball titles.

Basketball Infrastructure in Vice City

The worldbuilding supports basketball as a major activity. Screenshots show:

• Multiple street basketball courts scattered throughout Vice City
• The Sahara Arena (based on Miami’s Kaseya Center), home to Vice City’s professional team, the Naros
• A basketball hoop outside Jason’s house in the Leonida Keys, suggesting casual shooting practice
• NPCs actively playing basketball in free roam

This infrastructure hints that basketball will be integrated into both the story and optional side activities. Players might participate in tournaments, street leagues, or simply shoot around for stat bonuses similar to the gym activities in San Andreas.

Competitive Online Potential

If basketball is implemented well—even at a basic level—it could become a major draw for GTA Online. The community is already anticipating “2K players migrating to it and causing a stir in lobbies if they lose.” Imagine competitive 3v3 tournaments with betting, or roleplay servers creating entire basketball leagues. The social aspect alone could make basketball courts new gathering spots, similar to how car meets function in GTA Online.

Expanding the Activity Roster

Basketball and fishing are just the tip of the iceberg. The leaked activity list includes over 20 confirmed or heavily rumored side activities:

Sports and Recreation:

• Tennis (courts spotted in Trailer 1)
• Mini golf
• Pool/Snooker
• Weightlifting and gym workouts (Jason seen benching on the beach)
• Mountain drifting with dirt bikes and ATVs
• Kayaking
• Surfing (rumored)

Water Activities:

• Scuba diving with oxygen management mechanics
• Shipwreck exploration and salvage missions
• Underwater looting for cash and weapons
• Jet skiing
• Yacht parties as social hubs

Combat and Fitness:

• MMA/Cage fighting (Lucia seen training)
• Combat exercise and cardio workouts

Leisure:

• Hunting (hunters with rifles spotted in Mount Kalaga screenshots)
• Watching TV and playing video games
• Drinking at bars
• Visiting strip clubs
• Attending amusement parks
• DJing and music production

The sheer variety suggests Rockstar is doubling down on immersion, giving players countless ways to inhabit their characters’ lives beyond criminal activities.

Why This Matters: Building a Living World

Florida’s Identity Shines Through

By embracing fishing and basketball—two activities deeply rooted in Florida culture—Rockstar is creating an authentic sense of place. Florida is one of the world’s premier fishing destinations, with both recreational and sport fishing industries thriving along its coasts and inland waterways. Similarly, Miami has a rich basketball culture, from street courts to professional teams.

These activities aren’t just checkboxes on a feature list; they’re essential to making Leonida feel like a real, breathing location with its own identity and lifestyle.

Progression and Rewards

Leaks suggest these activities will tie into progression systems. Fishing could yield money from selling catches, with rarer fish commanding higher prices. There may be “Catch of the Day” challenges, fishing competitions, and faction-based conflicts over prime fishing spots—imagine “Salmon Wars” between rival fishing crews.

Basketball could offer stat bonuses, betting opportunities, and social reputation within the game world. Winning tournaments might unlock exclusive clothing, animations, or even properties.

Creating Emergent Gameplay

The beauty of these systems lies in their potential for emergent moments. Picture this: You’re fishing peacefully off your yacht when a rival crew tries to steal your catch. A boat chase erupts, ending in a shootout on a remote island. Or you challenge a rival gang to a 3v3 basketball game to settle a territory dispute, turning a sports mini-game into a narrative-driven confrontation.

This is what Rockstar excels at—creating systems that intersect in unexpected ways, generating stories that feel unique to each player.

What We’re Still Waiting to Learn

While the leaks paint an exciting picture, many details remain unconfirmed:

• Fishing mechanics depth: Will there be equipment upgrades, bait types, and fishing skill progression?
• Basketball customization: Can we create custom teams, uniforms, or courts?
• Boat customization extent: Paint jobs only, or full performance upgrades?
• Activity rewards: How do these mini-games tie into overall game progression?
• Online integration: Will these activities support multiplayer cooperation and competition?

Rockstar has yet to officially confirm most of these features, so some details should be treated as speculation until the company releases more information. However, given the consistency of leaks, official screenshots showing these activities, and Rockstar’s track record of creating deep, immersive worlds, the evidence is compelling.

The Countdown to May 2026

With GTA 6’s confirmed release date of May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, we’re getting closer to experiencing these activities firsthand. Every new leak and screenshot adds to the anticipation, painting a picture of a game that will redefine open-world standards once again.

Whether you’re casting a line from your yacht at sunrise, driving your speedboat through Vice City’s intercoastal waterways, hunting for legendary fish in the Grassrivers swamps, or hitting the courts for a competitive 3v3 game, GTA 6 promises to deliver an unprecedented level of immersion and variety.

The question isn’t whether these activities will be in the game—the evidence is overwhelming—but rather how deep and interconnected these systems will be. If Rockstar brings the same level of polish to fishing and basketball as they did to hunting in Red Dead Redemption 2, we’re in for an experience that transcends typical open-world side content.

Get ready to trade your assault rifle for a fishing rod and your getaway car for a basketball. Vice City is about to offer a whole new way to live the criminal lifestyle—with plenty of legitimate leisure activities in between.