You have surely played GTA Vice City back in your childhood, as that’s the best open-world game available at that time. But, ever since then, we all want to experience the Vice City map with advanced graphics, and the wait is going to be over with GTA VI.
Yes, Rockstar Games is not just bringing back Vice City in Grand Theft Auto 6 but also introducing a new state called Leonida (clearly visible in the trailer).It is likely to be designed as the most complex and realistic open-world game the studio has ever built.
After seeing the official trailers, screenshots, and Rockstar’s social handles, analysts suggested that GTA VI’s map and locations are structured around six major regions, each with its own geography, economy, culture, and gameplay identity.
If you have ever played GTA V, you have seen that large sections of the map felt empty or underutilized, but with GTA VI, Rockstar Games focuses more on density, realism, and long-term scalability. Yes, from neon-lit city streets to swamps, industrial zones, islands, and mountainous terrain, Leonida is designed to feel alive- not just large.
So, let’s dive deeper into this guide and see the details about the maps and different locations that will be introduced in Grand Theft Auto 6.
What Inspired the GTA VI Map and Locations?
According to the gaming community, the state of Leonida is the official map setting for GTA VI (Rockstar’s fictional version of modern Florida).
But, there’s a catch, as Leonida is not a single city map; the new GTA VI is going to be a multi-region open world game that blends urban environments, rural landscapes, coastlines, wetlands, and wilderness.
What Are the Characteristics of The GTA VI Map?
Well, analysts are calling the game Vice City Return, which has many new features and locations that you can check below:
- A state-level open world, not just one city
- Multiple distinct biomes and regions
- Emphasis on real-world geography inspiration
- Designed for both single-player storytelling and long-term online expansion
Rockstar has officially highlighted six major locations within Leonida:
- Vice City
- Port Gellhorn
- Ambrosia
- Mount Kalaga
- Leonida Keys
- Grassrivers
Each of these regions plays a specific role in the overall map design. Well, not only that, but here you will get parodies of modern American culture, including social media, influencer culture, and “Florida Man” memes within the game.
Vice City: The Core Urban Hub of GTA VI
Vice City, the sweetheart and most recognizable location that is included in the GTA VI map in Leonida. Did you hear about Miami? If so, then this GTA map is heavily inspired by modern-day Miami.
This city represents wealth, nightlife, tourism, social media culture, and controlled chaos, all of which play a major role in the game’s world and storytelling.
From the trailers released so far, it is almost confirmed that Vice City is central to GTA VI’s story, with several scenes featuring the main characters, Lucia and Jason, taking place within the city. This suggests that Vice City will not just be a backdrop, but a key driver of character development and narrative progression.
What Defines Vice City in GTA VI?
It is now almost confirmed after seeing the trailer that Vice City is a part of GTA VI, but what defines it? Let’s see:
- Dense urban streets
- High-rise buildings and beachfront skylines
- Nightclubs, strip clubs, malls, and luxury apartments
- Heavy focus on nightlife and social culture
If you have played GTA V or any other part of the Grand Theft Auto games ever, you may have noticed that most of the city map feels flat as it doesn’t have crowds, but Vice City appears far more vertical and crowded than Los Santos.
With GTA VI, Rockstar is prioritizing urban density over empty space. Areas like Ocean Beach, Lincoln Road-style shopping districts, and luxury island neighborhoods are expected to be major gameplay zones.
Key Vice City Locations
Here are some key locations that you will get in Grand Theft Auto VI:
- Ocean View Hotel (a direct callback to classic GTA Vice City)
- Vice City International Airport (VCIA)
- Quester Key (luxury island district)
- Vice Beach and nightlife strips
Vice City is likely to serve as the central hub for missions, businesses, properties, and online activity.
Port Gellhorn: Decay, Racing, and Industrial Chaos
Now, talking about Port Gellhorn, it represents the grittier, less glamorous side of Leonida. Unlike Vice City’s polished image, Port Gellhorn appears to be a declining coastal city filled with industrial infrastructure and forgotten tourist areas. So, this is going to be very fascinating and give us a real-world feel.
Major Features of Port Gellhorn
Some key features that Port Gellhorm has are:
- Large industrial zones
- A massive raceway and regional airport complex
- Run-down motels and roadside businesses
- Ports, bridges, and shipping areas
One of the most crucial landmarks is the Port Gellhorn International Raceway, and guess what it is inspired by: real-world racing circuits. Its scale suggests:
- Dedicated racing gameplay
- Aircraft access
- Multiplayer hangout potential
Port Gellhorn feels designed for street-level crime, racing culture, and blue-collar storylines, making it a sharp contrast to Vice City.
Ambrosia: Industrial Heartland of Leonida
The economic backbone of the Grand Theft Auto 6 map is Ambrosia. Yes, you heard it right, this region blends industrial production, agricultural land, and transportation infrastructure. According to some reports, this location is very crucial as the number of missions will be based on this location (not confirmed).
Key Characteristics of Ambrosia
There are some features that this location has in GTA VI, like:
- Factories and processing plants
- Railways and logistics hubs
- Agricultural fields
- Lake-based geography
The region revolves around Lake Leonida, a massive inland lake inspired by Lake Okeechobee. Although the lake is shallow, it dominates the surrounding landscape and strongly influences:
- Boat travel
- Flood-prone areas
- Industrial water systems
Allied Crystal Plant
This is also a crucial landmark in Ambrosia as it is the Allied Crystal production facility, a clear parody of real-world sugar and energy companies. Some reports suggested this GTA VI location may appear repeatedly in official media that will show:
- Story relevance
- Mission activity
- Economic importance within Leonida
Ambrosia connects rural areas with urban centers, acting as a transition zone between city and wilderness.
Mount Kalaga: The Northern Wilderness and Map Boundary
Mount Kalaga is one of the most mysterious regions in Grand Theft Auto VI. Described as a national landmark near Leonida’s northern border, this area introduces elevation and terrain diversity rarely seen in Florida-based settings.
What Makes Mount Kalaga Important?
Mount Kalaga is one of the most crucial places in GTA VI, and these things make this location stand out:
- Mountainous terrain and cliffs
- Forests and wilderness
- Limited urban development
- Natural boundaries of the map
Mount Kalaga likely serves as:
- An off-road exploration zone
- A location for secrets, collectibles, and side activities
- A natural northern edge of the GTA VI map
Instead of expanding the world rapidly, Rockstar appears to be using Mount Kalaga to contain the world while increasing detail density.
Leonida Keys: Islands, Military Power, and Isolation
The Leonida Keys are Rockstar’s take on the Florida Keys, which is a chain of islands connected by bridges, surrounded by open water.
Gameplay Potential in the Leonida Keys
Let’s check out the gameplay potential that Leonida Keys has:
- Boat-focused travel
- Smuggling and drug-running activities
- Seaplanes and water aircraft
- Remote hideouts and islands
One of the most talked-about rumored locations here is a military base, similar in function to Fort Zancudo in GTA V. This suggests:
- Restricted airspace
- High-risk, high-reward gameplay
- Jet and military vehicle access
The Leonida Keys are clearly designed as endgame and online-focused areas, where chaos and freedom peak.
Grassrivers: Swamps, Wildlife, and Survival
Grassrivers is Leonida’s wetland and swamp region, inspired by the Everglades. This area focuses on nature, danger, and isolation.
Key Features of Grassrivers
- Dense vegetation and marshlands
- Wildlife encounters
- Limited road access
- Rural settlements and shacks
Grassrivers is expected to host:
- Hunting and survival mechanics
- Wildlife-based encounters
- Unique environmental hazards
Compared to GTA V’s wilderness, Grassrivers appears far more alive and unpredictable, emphasizing immersion over empty space.
GTA VI Map Size: Is the Map Going to Be Very Big?
Earlier, numerous reports suggested that Grand Theft Auto 6 map could be two or three times larger than GTA V. However, current evidence points toward a more balanced approach, which sounds really good.
Rockstar’s Likely Design Philosophy
- Moderate size increase
- Massive increase in detail and interactivity
- Dynamic environments (weather, water levels, NPC behavior)
- Long-term expansion capability
So, instead of chasing raw scale, Rockstar appears to be focused on making every region meaningful.
How GTA VI Map Supports Long-Term Content
One of the most important factors of the GTA VI map and locations is future scalability. Yes, it allow Rockstar to:
- Expand regions over time
- Add new cities or islands
- Introduce evolving locations post-launch
- Support GTA Online for a decade or more
This makes GTA VI’s world not just a map, but a platform. Some reports and gaming influencers have suggested that Rockstar may not move to GTA VII anytime soon after GTA VI.
Instead, there is a strong possibility that GTA VI itself could evolve over many years through regular updates and expansions.
However, it’s important to clarify one thing: Rockstar has not officially confirmed this. There has been no announcement saying GTA VI will replace future numbered GTA titles or that GTA VII will not happen.
That said, this idea is not unrealistic. GTA V, released in 2013, is still relevant today mainly because Rockstar continuously expanded GTA Online with new content. This long-term support model has clearly worked for them.
With GTA VI being built on far more advanced technology and designed as a large, scalable world, many analysts believe Rockstar could follow a similar or even more aggressive live-update approach.
This would allow them to add new locations, systems, and experiences over time instead of releasing a new GTA quickly.
Also, a large number of players even today do not have devices capable of running GTA V smoothly, which shows how slowly hardware adoption happens globally. Because of this, Rockstar is known to stretch the lifespan of its games rather than rushing sequels.
Conclusion
From what I’ve seen so far, the GTA VI map isn’t just bigger. It feels smarter, more detailed, and better planned. Leonida looks like a real place, with clear regions, natural borders, and areas that actually make sense instead of just filling space.
This time, Rockstar wants players to explore, discover, and spend time in this world, not just rush through it. In the forthcoming time, Rockstar will release more trailers and official information; this page will be updated accordingly.
But even right now, it’s easy to see that GTA VI has the most advanced and carefully designed open world Rockstar has ever made, and not every device can run this game easily. So, if you want to play this game just after the launch, check out GTA VI’s minimum system requirements to check if your device is capable of running the game or not.
