It is clear to see why so many fans are desperate for more information regarding Grand Theft Auto 6, with players essentially being in the dark since the record-breaking release of the project's reveal trailer in December 2023. Despite Rockstar's silence surrounding the game, the hype for GTA 6 is still as palpable as ever, with the core confirmed details for the game already coming together to paint an exciting picture of what kind of experiences the title will eventually bring.
It has been known for some time that Grand Theft Auto 6 will take things back to the iconic Vice City. This particular setting is perfect in terms of the near-endless ways that Rockstar can expand on the original 3D portrayal that fans came to love almost two decades ago. While the city itself will likely be an endless avenue of entertainment within GTA 6, some fans are hoping for much more expansive playable areas than the franchise has portrayed before, with Rockstar's silence only fueling this mystery.
Grand Theft Auto Fans Think the Switch 2 Is Bad News for GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto 6 fans believe the Nintendo Switch 2 could be bad news for the upcoming title due to one vital factor.
To Expand on GTA 5, Rockstar Has To Go Far Beyond Vice City with Grand Theft Auto 6
Players have become deeply familiar with the map of Grand Theft Auto 5 since it first launched in 2013, with Los Santos and its surrounding areas being about five times larger than the map of GTA 4. Grand Theft Auto 5's playable area thrived in how it included vast rural regions that contrasted the bustle of Los Santos. The iconic Mount Chiliad and Blaine County added a lot of gameplay variety to the record-breaking title.
Grand Theft Auto 5 holds the record of the most profitable entertainment product ever made, with Rockstar having a massive task ahead of itself in terms of matching and exceeding the success and influence of the 2013 title.
Of course, Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to go beyond what GTA 5 offers to players. It seems like a sure thing that Vice City will only play a small role in what Rockstar has in store. Like most major franchise locations, Vice City has a clear real-world inspiration behind its portrayals. The location already takes heavy influence from Miami, and Rockstar has plenty of other real-world regions to pull from around Florida to bolster GTA 6's scope and exploration.
It seems a sure thing that Rockstar will include a kind of Everglades region in Grand Theft Auto 6, for example, with the game's reveal trailer showcasing swampy regions and airboats, though it is currently unclear how far the studio will take this. It has also long been rumored that Grand Theft Auto 6 will feature separate islands to bolster its gameplay. Some theories even suggest that Red Dead Redemption 2's Guarma chapter was a test of these kinds of assets; real-world islands like Key West are the perfect potential inspiration for a spoof of another part of Florida.
Rockstar's Silence is Only Ramping Up the Expectations Surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6's Map
Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, recently confirmed that additional promotional material for GTA 6 will not be released until the game is very close to launch, meaning that fans are likely to be in the dark for a good few months despite the massive anticipation surrounding the project. This begs the question of just how expansive Grand Theft Auto 6 might be, with the island theory even extending to potential appearances of South American regions, casting a shadow of mystery over one of the game's most important core aspects.
While Grand Theft Auto 6 should not expand its scale for the sake of it, there seems to be a lot of room for the franchise to innovate its playable area in exciting ways, and Vice City's Florida-inspired setting has an immense amount of potential in terms of creating a massive and varied overall map. The currently confirmed details about Vice City are deeply exciting in their own right, but it seems like it might be some time before fans get confirmation of just how ambitious Grand Theft Auto 6's scale truly is.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
