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.
Though nothing is confirmed yet, fans even think they know how the state will roughly be laid out after spotting what could be a map in the GTA 6 key art. By zooming into the bottom right corner, a notice board of sorts includes what could be a map that bears resemblance to the south east of Florida. Though it appears incomplete, a Miami Beach looking area can be seen as an offshoot of the mainland. Whether this is the map or not remains to be seen, but regardless, now that we have the general lay of the land, let’s look at some specific spots in the trailer.
Vice Dale County
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 feature, turned up to 11 in true Rockstar fashion.
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
What’s more fun than stealing boats? Stealing planes! While Rockstar will no doubt sneak in another airport or two around the map for smaller private planes, Vice City International Airport, based on Miami International Airport, will almost certainly be the biggest. It’s a given that one or two missions will take place here, with players tasked with stealing a plane, taking off with stolen goods, or some other form of classic Grand Theft Auto shenanigans.
Glittering Skyscraper / Atlantis Condominium
A building seemingly inspired by the Atlantis Condominium can be seen down the road from the aforementioned 500 Brickell. Though it looks taller and thinner than the real version, the GTA skyscraper has the same square hole through the middle. This could be another spot where players can buy an apartment, and while options are usually limited in single player, years of GTA Online has shown us Rockstar is happy to offer players a ton of living options.
Colourful Street / Wynwood
Miami’s most artistic and colourful street is a perfect spot to include in GTA 6 and Rockstar hasn’t missed that chance. Though we only see it for a moment, a street inspired by Wynwood lights up the trailer with its beautiful murals and stylish lowriders. Full of art galleries, fashion boutiques, vibrant bars, and so much more, Wynwood is sure to be a go-to spot for players looking to upgrade their cars, style, or night out.
Nightclub / Club Space
Speaking of nights out, a take on Club Space will seemingly be joining NINE1NINE as one of the hottest clubs in Vice City. Miami locals quickly identified the brief nightclub scene in the GTA 6 trailer as being inspired by Club Space, a mecca for electronic dance music. This is the first look at the nightlife available to players in GTA 6, but whether this Club Space adaptation will be the focal point of a mission or just a place to blow off steam remains to be seen.
City Island / Biscayne Island
A late night shot in the trailer may genuinely be mistaken for a photograph of Miami, showing just how accurate some areas of Vice City are to their real life counterparts. Biscayne Island is the connecting strip of land between Miami and Miami Beach, or Vice City and Vice Beach in GTA speak. The trailer shows it recreated almost perfectly, down to its staircase style skyscrapers and the toll booths at its entrance.
Vice Beach / Miami Beach
This isn’t one specific location in GTA 6, but as we mentioned it in the previous entry, the entirety of Miami Beach is recreated as the aptly titled Vice Beach. While this area took up half of the original Vice City’s map, the more accurate recreation this time around will likely see it built as a smaller off-shoot of the main city as it is in real life. Miami Beach is broken down into three main areas, the most iconic South Beach, plus Mid Beach and North Beach. The original Vice City labelled these as Ocean Beach, Washington Beach, and Vice Point respectively, but there’s no indication if these names will carry over yet.
Art Deco Street / Ocean Drive
One shot reminiscent of the original Vice City’s boardwalk and Ocean View Hotel recreates the iconic atmosphere of South Beach, complete with its art deco buildings, neon signs, and flashy sports cars. Ocean Drive is arguably Miami’s most famous street, packed with hotels and bars all in the art deco style that have featured in the likes of Scarface, The Birdcage, Charlie’s Angels, and more. It epitomises the attraction of Miami and will no doubt feature prominently in GTA 6.
Boardwalk Hotel / Colony Hotel
Sitting firmly as the focal point of Ocean Drive is the Colony Hotel, recreated in GTA 6 as the Boardwalk Hotel. Opened in 1935, the Colony Hotel is the poster child of South Beach as a beautiful art deco building that stands above the hundreds around it. Perhaps this is where Lucia and Jason bunker down for the night ahead of a big heist, or it might be a business opportunity available to players in the next iteration of GTA Online. We also see some other Ocean Drive hotels beyond the art deco area, including the Royal Palm and Loews Miami Beach, plus the 1500 Ocean Drive condos neighbouring them. Continuum, Faena House, and W Hotel can be seen further up Vice Beach too.
Bayfront Heights / Seafront Apartments
Another apartment complex we see in the GTA 6 trailer is Bayfront Heights, though it’s hard to infer much from the very brief look. Similar to the 500 Brickell and Atlantis Condominium-inspired buildings mentioned earlier, this could present another apartment for players to buy either in the campaign of GTA 6 or its online mode.
Strip Club / King of Diamonds
As staple as stealing cars, Grand Theft Auto seemingly wouldn’t be Grand Theft Auto without a strip club. The GTA 6 iteration looks based on King of Diamonds, a famous (or infamous) spot in Miami known for being a tad chaotic. The usual romance options available to players checking out the strip club may be limited in GTA 6 given the dual protagonists appear to be a couple.
Kelly County
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 Red Dead Redemption 2’s Bayou.
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
Beyond mainland Florida itself lies the Florida Keys archipelago, and just as it’s part of Monroe County in real life, it likely falls under Kelly County in GTA 6. Rockstar including these islands shows just how vast its map will be, and though its version almost certainly won’t span the full 120 miles south of mainland Leonida, the trailer still shows a huge chunk of space dedicated to these islands. Additionally, the unfinished bridge resembles the Bahia Honda Bridge, which a derelict railroad bridge located in Florida Keys.
Leonard County
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 these scenes we get our best look at the bizarre and brilliant takes on small town Florida. Several towns like Catalan Boulevard, Stockyard Downtown, Hamlet, and Waning Sands are only mentioned by name, but we do get a brief look at some others.
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 is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
