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Dec 20, 2023 · Now that the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer has finally dropped, we’re diving deep into the GTA 6 trailer to piece together as much of the GTA 6 map as possible to compare them to their...
- Piecing together Leonida using all the information we know about.
- GTA 6 Counties
- Vice Dale County
- GTA 6 - Vice City in Real Life
- Kelly County
- GTA 6 - Kelly County in Real Life
- Leonard County
- GTA 6 - Leonard County in Real Life
- IGN Recommends
By Ryan Dinsdale
Updated: Dec 20, 2023 7:51 pm
Posted: Dec 20, 2023 2:00 pm
Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally, officially real, and not only is it taking us back to the bright and brazen Miami-inspired Vice City, its map seeps into the surrounding swamps based on Florida’s Everglades. Developer Rockstar Games has only released a 90 second trailer for the game, but we’ve poured over every moment to piece together as much of GTA 6’s map as we can while comparing the various locations to their real-world inspirations.
But let’s start simple. Grand Theft Auto 5 fully introduced counties to the franchise and featured two itself: Los Santos County, which encompassed the Los Angeles-inspired city, and Blaine County, the northern region accentuated by a large desert and interesting locals. Not to be outdone, the GTA 6 trailer references three counties, and as Rockstar likely wants to make everything bigger and better in its highly anticipated sequel, it makes sense GTA 6 would have more explorable regions than its predecessor.
These three regions are Vice Dale County, which we can see on the Sheriff's badge in the background of Mega Noticias’ news report on a character seemingly based on the Florida Joker; Leonard County, which appears on a police car in the fictional social media clip from PlanetLeonidaMan; and Kelly County, which is listed on various road signs.
As Vice City is based on Miami, it’s very likely Vice Dale County is based on Miami-Dade County, which contains the city and its outskirts, including much of the Everglades. We expect the Grand Theft Auto version will solely include the city, though. Rockstar did the same with GTA 5 and while the real Los Angeles County includes the city and much of the area above it, Rockstar’s Los Santos County solely includes the city and reimagines the northern area as Blaine County. Counties are therefore used to separate geographically distinct areas, so Vice Dale County will likely just include Vice City and perhaps a taste of its outskirts.
Working out the other two – Leonard County and Kelly County – requires more tedium. Looking at the Florida map, Miami-Dade County lies in the south east and is bordered on its western border by Monroe County slightly south and Collier County slightly north. Above Miami-Dade lies Broward County, and while its real cities like Fort Lauderdale are distinct, they still lie within the Miami metropolitan area and are perhaps too aesthetically similar to Vice City to include as well. We therefore expect GTA 6 will include fictional versions of Monroe County and Collier County alongside Vice Dale.
One of these counties will likely include the Everglades-inspired swamp area, and we expect the other to cover the prison and dustier small towns seen in the trailer. But which is which? The PlanetLeonidaMan social media clip that references Leonard County shows a small town gas station, and the blue and yellow signage is a clear reference to Sunoco. This is a gas station chain with locations all over the United States, but as you can see in the image below, none are present in the south western, swampy Everglades area. This pins the gas station and its Leonard County police car in the north western area, or Collier County.
Image Credit: Google Maps
This would make Kelly County the fictionalised Monroe County, and various road signs support this too. We see Kelly County referenced in two parts of the trailer: first when a girl is waving her arms while driving through Vice City in a convertible, and another in the GeneralCustardCannon social media clip seemingly right outside the city. It makes sense road signs within Vice City, in the south east, would point first to the south western region, before offering directions to the further away north western, which suggests Kelly County is that Everglades inspired area.
The GTA 6 map will therefore likely feature Vice Dale County (and Vice City within it) in the south east, the Everglades containing Kelly County in the south west, and scattered small towns and the prison in north western Leonard County. Together they form Leonida, Rockstar’s fictional take on Florida.
Neon lights, pristine beaches, and flashy cars are just some of the highlights of Vice City, the jewel in the crown of Vice Dale County – and all of GTA 6. While Vice City was the focus of its own game in 2002, Rockstar’s take on Miami appears more true to life this time around. The city’s iconic South Beach, Wynwood, and Atlantis Condominium all f...
NINE1NINE / E11EVEN
An early shot in the trailer shows Vice Beach in all its glory, but a plane with a banner attached advertises something called NINE1NINE. We believe this references the high end nightclub E11EVEN, which promises “entertainment reimagined” as the world’s only 24/7 “ultraclub”. It’s unclear how NINE1NINE is involved in the GTA 6 campaign, but nightclubs play a big role as safehouses and businesses in GTA Online. We don’t get to see NINE1NINE itself in the trailer but it will surely be the perfect place to blow off steam, with superstars like Nicki Minaj, Steve Aoki, and Shaquille O'Neal having partied at the real one.
Basketball Arena / Kaseya Center
Speaking of Shaquille O'Neal, the Miami Heat basketball team’s arena, the Kaseya Center, makes a brief appearance in the trailer in the background of the scene with the woman waving her arms while speeding through Vice City. Whether or not players can access the arena remains to be seen, but Rockstar regularly includes sports in its games and even featured basketball in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. GTA 5’s sports included tennis, golf, darts, and more. But with four trips to the NBA Finals in the last ten years, it may make sense to include this part of Miami’s culture in GTA 6.Twin-Tower Condo Block / 500 Brickell
One of Miami’s most iconic skyscrapers is recreated brick by brick in GTA 6, as the twin tower condominium block 500 Brickell makes an appearance in the trailer. Identifiable by its connecting roof with a gaping hole in the middle, the high end condo block can be seen in the opening montage of the GTA 6 trailer. Apartments have always played a big role in Grand Theft Auto, so perhaps a premium condo isn’t beyond protagonists Lucia and Jason’s reach once they make a little money in Vice City.Port Vice City / PortMiami
Though it’s a little less glitz and glam than other locations on this list, Port Vice City, based on PortMiami, will likely be a popular spot in GTA 6. Why? Boats! Escaping the police on a speedboat is a staple of any Grand Theft Auto, not to mention stealing a shipping container or two. We get a glimpse at both of these possibilities in the trailer, with PVC branding identifying the port as Port Vice City, a change from the original game’s simpler VicePort.Vice City International Airport / Miami International Airport
A stark difference from the glamour of Vice City, the murky swamps of what we assume is Kelly County will provide a very different gameplay experience for GTA 6 players. Not much of this region was shown in the trailer as Rockstar focused more on Vice City and the small town shenanigans of wild and wacky locals, but the wetlands are reminiscent of ...
Wetlands / Everglades
Extending far beyond the original GTA: Vice City’s borders, GTA 6 will seep into the swamps of south west Leonida. The trailer showed an airboat sailing across the wetlands, inspired by Florida’s Everglades, and some wildlife such as flamingos and alligators. Spooky swamps provide plenty of opportunity for some late night crimes and cover-ups too, meaning the illegal activity in GTA 6 may not all be action packed and over the top.String of Islands / Florida Keys
Small towns don’t feature too much in GTA 5, with the Los Santos metropolis dominating the south end of the map and deserts and mountains covering a lot of the rest. GTA 6 looks to change that though, adding a series of small towns in what we expect to be Leonard County. Rockstar’s famous satire targets social media in the trailer, and it’s in thes...
Broadcast Mast / WTVY Tower
Florida’s highest point is far from Miami and the Everglades but it does feature in the GTA 6 trailer’s stunning opening shots, where the sun sets over the swamps of Leonida in hues of pink and purple. A tall broadcast mast based on the WTVY Tower can be seen in the distance, and while the real tower may be located way, way north in Holmes County, Rockstar will likely scrunch the real world down to include the mast somewhere in Leonard County.
Leonida Department of Corrections / Florida Department of Corrections
Our introduction to Lucia is apt for a Grand Theft Auto protagonist, as our first glimpse sees her in prison. The letters LDC are printed on her orange jumpsuit, standing for the Leonida Department of Corrections – a clear reference to the Florida Department of Corrections. The prison looks outside Vice City limits and has a dustier environment compared to the wetlands of Kelly County, so we expect it to lie in Leonard County.
Port Gellhorn / Small Town Florida
The trailer shows Lucia and Jason engaging in a hold-up, presumably early in their criminal careers, before cutting to a scene where they speed off in an American muscle car. Kicking up dust as they go, a Pawn & Gun store seen in the background indicates the couple are in a town called Port Gellhorn. Again, this looks well beyond the city limits and its dry environment places it far from the wetlands too, indicating it’s likely another small town of Kelly County.That's everything we know about the map and locations for GTA 6 so far. If you've spotted anything else, let us know in the comments below!
- Ryan Dinsdale
Feb 28, 2024 · Rockstar Games is requesting developers to return to the office five days a week come April to amid security concerns during GTA 6's development.
Feb 28, 2024 · GTA 6 was officially announced in November, with a 2025 release window on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The sequel will take players back to the sun-soaked streets of Vice City, with Rockstar teasing...
Feb 29, 2024 · We expect Rockstar’s biggest priority as GTA 6 approaches the finish line is avoiding any more major leaks.
Dec 27, 2023 · According to a press release issued by Rockstar at the time of the reveal trailer drop, GTA 6 has been confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
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