Rockstar Games' Aaron Garbut described the studio's research trips across Florida for Grand Theft Auto VI in an interview with LOVE Magazine. Garbut said a small group started by driving from Miami through nearby towns and the Florida Keys to Key West, then returned with larger teams to study the region more closely.
He said he and several art directors also filmed the Everglades, downtown Miami and the beaches from a helicopter. The group ended up hovering above a stadium during a Beyoncé concert, a detail IGN later highlighted.
Garbut said the team spent time with locals and traveled with police and gang members, hearing stories and visiting places that showed Florida's darker side. He framed the research as an effort to make GTA VI's world feel believable and varied, while reflecting what he called Miami's extremes.