The world of Grand Theft Auto VI is built on Florida. The main city, Vice City, is a present-day take on Miami, and it sits inside the fictional state of Leonida, which mirrors the geography and culture of Florida itself. Rockstar Games has confirmed both the city and the state, and the trailers and screenshots fill in the rest with neighborhoods, swamps, keys, and a national park that all trace back to real places.
Quick answer: GTA 6 is set in Vice City (a modern version of Miami) inside the state of Leonida (modeled on Florida), with regions based on Miami-Dade, the Florida Keys, the Everglades, the Panhandle coast, and inland sugar country.
Vice City is GTA 6’s version of Miami
Vice City returns as the centerpiece of the map, but this is not the 1980s version from the older game. The new Vice City lives in the HD Universe and is set in the modern day, after the events of GTA V. It pulls from the glamour, crowds, and excess of present-day Miami, with neon strips, packed beaches, and dense streets full of pedestrians and traffic.
Individual neighborhoods are tied to real parts of the city. Ocean Beach and South Beach stand in for Miami’s famous sands and Art Deco strips, Little Cuba and Little Havana reflect the city’s Cuban communities, Little Haiti is represented directly, and Stockyard mirrors the murals of Wynwood. The cruise terminals at the VC Port echo Miami’s role as a major cruise hub.
Leonida is the in-game version of Florida
Vice City is only one part of a much larger state. Leonida is the fictional stand-in for Florida and is built from at least five counties, each modeled on a real Florida county or region. A large body of water, Lake Leonida, sits roughly in the middle of the map and corresponds to the role Lake Okeechobee plays in the real state.
| Region in Leonida | Real-life inspiration | Notable spots |
|---|---|---|
| Vice-Dale County (South East) | Miami-Dade County | Vice City, Vice Beach, Ocean Beach, Little Cuba, Little Havana, VC Port, Vice City International Airport |
| Leonard County (East) | Broward County | Waning Sands (Aventura / Pembroke Pines) |
| Ambrosia County (North East) | Hendry County | Ambrosia, Lake Leonida, the Allied Crystal sugar refinery |
| Kelly County (North West) | Collier and Lee counties | Port Gellhorn (Panama City) |
| Mariana County (South West) | Monroe County | Watson Bay, Key Lento, Grassrivers, Leonida Keys |
The six biomes and the real places behind them
Rockstar has highlighted six distinct zones across the map, and each one is grounded in a recognizable part of Florida.
Vice City (Miami)
The dense urban core, drawing on Miami’s mix of wealth, crime, and culture. Its visual style nods to films and shows like Scarface and Miami Vice.
Leonida Keys (Florida Keys)
A tropical archipelago south of Vice City, based on the Florida Keys. It is where protagonist Jason’s story begins, with the starting apartment for Jason and Lucia located here. The waters support jet skis, boats, and underwater wildlife such as turtles, tropical fish, and sharks.
Grassrivers (the Everglades)
A swampy wetland modeled on the Florida Everglades, complete with mangroves and alligators. Airboats are the practical way to move through the flooded grassland.
Port Gellhorn (Panama City)
Described as Leonida’s “forgotten coast,” this run-down vacation town points to Panama City on Florida’s Panhandle. Cheap motels, shut-down attractions, and empty strip malls set the tone, and its dry, bumpy terrain suits dirt bikes and quad bikes.
Ambrosia (inland sugar country)
An industrial town built around the Allied Crystal sugar refinery, which closely resembles the U.S. Sugar refinery in Clewiston near Lake Okeechobee. Local biker gangs and factory work define the area.
Mount Kalaga National Park (northern Florida)
A forested zone on the state’s northern border with rugged backwoods, canyons, and winding rivers. It supports hunting and fishing and sits closer to the look of Florida’s neighboring states.
Real Miami landmarks recreated in GTA 6
Just as GTA V rebuilt Los Angeles landmarks, GTA 6 recreates specific Miami buildings and streets under new names. These are the spots identified so far across the trailers and screenshots.
| In-game version | Real-life location |
|---|---|
| Sahara Arena (home of the Vice City Narcos) | Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat |
| Ocean View Hotel | Clevelander Hotel, Miami Beach |
| NINE 1 NINE nightclub | E11EVEN nightclub, Downtown Miami |
| King of Diamonds strip club | King of Diamonds, Miami |
| Vice Beach | Miami Beach / South Beach |
| Ocean Drive | Ocean Drive, Miami Beach |
| Design District | Miami Design District |
| Tresor Tower penthouse | Tresor Tower, Miami Beach |
| Venetian Islands causeway | Venetian Causeway |
| Causeway in the first trailer | Julia Tuttle Causeway (I-195) |
| Tall TV tower | WTVY-TV tower, Florida’s tallest structure |
| Leonida State Prison | Florida State Prison |
| Rain Barrel Village (whale statue) | Rain Barrel Village, Florida Keys (Betsy the Lobster) |
How big the GTA 6 map is
The map is far larger than the one in GTA V. It is expected to be roughly twice the size, with rumors of three major cities plus four smaller sub-cities and many surrounding towns. For reference, GTA V’s map covers about 29.28 square miles, which puts GTA 6 in the range of 60 square miles or more. These figures come from community estimates built on trailers and known landmarks rather than an official measurement, so treat the exact number as approximate.
The world is also built to be explored beyond the streets. There are enterable shops and venues numbering in the hundreds, including nightclubs, motels, restaurants, gun stores, and a metro station, plus an airport, a working tram, and underwater areas with hidden treasure.
Could a second state appear?
Beyond Leonida, there is evidence pointing to a second state called Gloriana, inspired by Georgia. Some trailer shots show rural areas and long highways that resemble Florida’s northern neighbor more than Miami’s coast. This has not been confirmed as a playable region, so it should be treated as unconfirmed for now.
Put simply, the GTA 6 map is Florida reimagined. Vice City is its Miami, Leonida is the wider state, and the regions around it map cleanly onto the Keys, the Everglades, the Panhandle coast, and the sugar country near Lake Okeechobee. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, when the full layout will be confirmed in detail.
