It is clear to see why so many fans are desperate for more information regardingGrand 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 forGTA 6is 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 thatGrand Theft Auto 6will 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 withinGTA 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.
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 ofGrand Theft Auto 5since it first launched in 2013, with Los Santos and its surrounding areas being about five times larger than the map ofGTA 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 Countyadded a lot of gameplay variety to the record-breaking title.
Grand Theft Auto 5holds 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 6is expected to go beyond whatGTA 5offers 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 regionsto pull from around Florida to bolsterGTA 6’s scope and exploration.
It seems a sure thing that Rockstar will include a kind of Everglades region inGrand 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 thatGrand Theft Auto 6will feature separate islands to bolster its gameplay. Some theories even suggest thatRed 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 thatadditional promotional material forGTA 6will 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 expansiveGrand Theft Auto 6might 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.
WhileGrand Theft Auto 6should 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 getconfirmation of just how ambitiousGrand Theft Auto 6’s scale truly is.
