A character walking, getting into a car or reacting to another person needs specific animations. That work has reached an enormous scale in GTA VI. Aaron Garbut spoke to The New York Times about the number of animations produced to bring the game to life.
Why so many animations matter
Animations are used for movements, interactions and behaviors that help characters look natural. A greater variety of situations requires more work to keep every pedestrian from behaving in exactly the same way.
The comparison shows the scale of the increase. GTA 5 used around 55,000 animations, while Red Dead Redemption 2 had approximately 300,000. In GTA 6, that work extends to everyday movements and the individual reactions of people on the streets.
Garbut explained that Rockstar built a team dedicated to supporting characters. The work involves thinking about how each person uses their surroundings, paying attention to objects, clothing, gestures and details that tell small stories without needing a mission.
For players, the most important effect may be subtle. When small actions look natural, the world becomes more believable without having to draw attention to every technical detail.
