Grand Theft Auto VI is set in Leonida, Rockstar’s version of Florida, and its main city, Vice City, is based on Miami. Rockstar’s own site calls Leonida “the sunshine state” and Vice City “the sun and fun capital of America”, and Game Informer’s cover story describes Rockstar researching “Miami and Florida” to build it.
Vice City returns for the first time since 2006’s Vice City Stories, but this time it’s one city in a whole state. Here is everything Rockstar has revealed.
Vice City: Rockstar’s Miami
Vice City has been GTA’s version of Miami since the first Grand Theft Auto in 1997, and most famously in 2002’s GTA: Vice City. Rockstar’s Only in Leonida page names several neighborhoods and landmarks:
- Ocean Beach, the beach district, a name that goes back to the 2002 game.
- Little Cuba, which appears to nod to Miami’s Little Havana.
- VC Port, called the “cruise ship capital of the world”.
- The Tisha-Wocka flea market.
- Shore Drive, Southside, Stockyard, Watson Bay, Washington Beach and Gambit Bay.
Ultimate Edition content also mentions the Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, and the pre-order pack adds a garage at Shore Court near Ocean Beach; see our editions guide.
Every Region of Leonida
Beyond Vice City, Rockstar has revealed five more regions. Each description is Rockstar’s, and the Florida comparisons are ours:
- Leonida Keys: a “tropical archipelago”, clearly modeled on the Florida Keys.
- Grassrivers: wetlands full of gators, Rockstar’s take on the Everglades.
- Port Gellhorn: “Leonida’s forgotten coast”. Florida’s Panhandle has a stretch nicknamed the Forgotten Coast.
- Ambrosia: home to the Allied Crystal sugar refinery and a biker gang, which echoes Florida’s sugar country.
- Mount Kalaga National Park: at Leonida’s northern border, pitched for hunting, fishing and off-roading.
Rockstar also names Lake Leonida among its locations.
How Big Is the Map?
Leonida is about twice the size of GTA 5’s map and three times the playable area of Red Dead Redemption 2, according to Rockstar, and co-studio head Aaron Garbut told Game Informer it is the biggest map the studio has ever made “by some degree.” Rockstar hasn’t published a figure in square miles or kilometers. Our guide to how big the GTA 6 map is breaks down every official comparison and which popular figures are only fan estimates.
What the free excerpts do confirm is how full the state will be: more than 170 animal species, localized storms and seasonal hurricanes, as our news story on Game Informer’s details covers.
Why Florida
Florida’s reputation for the strange and the extreme makes it natural GTA territory, and Rockstar leans into it. Its official material spans swamps and gators, biker gangs, cruise ports and beach clubs, and Game Informer describes Rockstar recreating Florida “ecologically and culturally”. If you want to see where Vice City started, our guides to progressing GTA: Vice City’s story and making money fast in Vice City cover the 2002 original, and our GTA games ranked list puts it in context.
Every GTA 6 guide is on our GTA hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What city is GTA 6 based on? Vice City, GTA 6’s main city, is based on Miami. The wider state, Leonida, is based on Florida.
Is GTA 6 set in Vice City? Yes. Vice City is Leonida’s main city, and the game also covers the rest of the state.
What are the regions in GTA 6? Rockstar has revealed Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.
How big is the GTA 6 map? About twice the size of GTA 5’s map and three times Red Dead Redemption 2’s playable area, according to Rockstar. There’s no official figure in square miles.
Is Leonida a real place? No. It’s Rockstar’s fictional version of Florida.