The latest update of GTA Onlinetitled A refuge in the hillshas discreetly introduced a new option: the ability to name and pet your pets. A novelty which seems innocuous but which could well foreshadow a key feature of GTA VI.
In GTA Vthe dog Chop – Franklin’s companion – was present, but his interaction remained limited. Players could call it or train it via the iFruit app, but without real immersion in the gameplay. What Rockstar has just added is a game changer. “In the ‘Help in the Hills’ update, you can now name and pet your pets,” reports ComicBook.com.
This seems to announce a more in-depth and customizable approach to animals in GTA VInotably via the protagonists Jason and Lucia.
A feature missing in GTA V, requested for a long time
The presence of animals in GTA games is not new, but their interactions have always been very limited. Alone Red Dead Redemption 2 had proposed a real relationship with an animal companion (the horse), reinforcing immersion and attachment.
Rockstar Games could apply this recipe to GTA VI by:
- Allowing the adoption of a pet
- Adding affection, training or associated mission mechanics
- Providing direct influence on gameplay or story
This would be a new step towards life simulationat the crossroads between action and emotion.
GTA Online as a laboratory of ideas for GTA VI
This is not the first time that GTA Online serves as a testing ground for Rockstar. New mechanics, vehicles or economy systems are often tested there before being made official in future opuses.
In the present case, this reinforced interaction with animals could therefore be a full-scale test : “It is widely believed that GTA Online can serve as a testing ground for Rockstar Games to determine whether new features can be implemented in future games, such as the previously mentioned GTA VI. » The evolution is subtle but consistent with the direction taken by the studio in recent years.
What we know about GTA VI so far
Scheduled for worldwide release on November 17, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, GTA VI promises a back in force with a map inspired by Florida (the fictional State of Leonida) and two main characters: Jason and Lucia. “But when an easy stunt goes wrong, they find themselves on the darker side of the sunniest place in America,” describes the official synopsis.
No information has yet filtered regarding a PC outputwhich still leaves room for speculation. But one thing is certain: expectations are colossal.