What are the GTA 6 map locations? We’re back, baby: Vice City – the playground of the rich and a true cesspit of indulgence is now confirmed to be the location of GTA 6. Not only that, but the GTA 6 trailer that dropped was packed full of tidbits and information about the city and its surroundings.
While the GTA 6 release date might be quite a way away, the trailer has more than enough to tease and keep us going through to launch. The location of the open-world game was the subject of much debate for years, but we now have confirmation of where GTA 6 is set, and it’s not exactly a massive surprise. Here’s everything about the GTA 6 map we know so far.
Where is GTA 6 set?
GTA 6 is set in Vice City, based on Miami and the previous focus of GTA: Vice City in the fictional Florida-inspired state of Leonida. Just like Miami, it’s full of neon lights, bumping nightclubs, and terrible people. We can see from the trailer that the aesthetic remains, with an added layer of grime – biker gangs, swampy outskirts, and swathes of mud.
The trailer shows the crowded beaches of Vice City, filled with scantily-clad beachgoers and avid joggers checking they’re on pace to beat their PB. It’s a lot more crowded than anything else we’ve seen from a Grand Theft Auto game – something that the rest of the areas have in common.
We also get a look at the main strip of Vice City, the possible hub of GTA 6. The strip is jam-packed with cars, drunken pedestrians, lights, and music. It might make speeding through the streets difficult, but as we know, with GTA, not impossible.
The trailer also shows off a few locations that aren’t Vice City. More specifically, they’re rural areas that resemble Florida’s surrounding states – particularly Georgia, with long stretches of highway cutting a swathe through the countryside. These open areas look sparse but beautiful, with a more natural color palette than the gaudy neon-splashed streets of Vice City.
A quick snapshot shows off GTA 6’s version of the Everglades – flooded grassland filled to the brim with wildlife and terrain usually only accessible by airboat. Luckily enough, the scene we’re shown has one of these, which adds yet another new vehicle to go along with the GTA 6 cars we’ve seen so far.
GTA 6 real-life map locations
Here are the 10 GTA 6 map locations from real-life Miami we’ve been able to spot in the trailer:
- 500 Brickell Condominium
- Everglades
- Florida Keys
- Julia Tuttle Causeway
- Kaseya Center
- King of Diamonds
- Miami Beach
- Ocean Drive
- WTVY-TV Tower
- Wynwood
500 Brickell Condominium
An impressive GTA 6 map location from an architectural point of view is the 500 Brickell – a unique luxury apartment complex in Miami’s namesake Brickell Avenue.
From the trailer’s 18-20 second mark, the iconic large white roof connecting the West and East Towers stands out from the shot’s right-hand side. Lavish home bases aren’t new to Grand Theft Auto games, so let’s hope the 500 Brickell is part of the latest selection we can choose from.
Julia Tuttle Causeway
An easy-to-miss spot in the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, but another real-life map location it showed us is the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Part of Interstate 195, the JTC is the long connecting route between Miami Beach and Miami, Florida – named after the city’s founder, Julia Tuttle.
If you look closer at the above screenshot, there’s even an individual mini-island on the right, similar to the real-life I-195’s neighboring Biscayne Isle. At least until you unlock fast travel, you’ll likely need to use the Julia Tuttle Causeway – or whatever GTA 6 calls it in-game – to travel between Vice City and Vice Beach.
Everglades
The Everglades being a part of GTA 6 is clear the second the wetlands appear in the trailer with the familiar swampy aesthetics and airboat. Given the flooded grasslands’ approximate 7800 square miles in size, we doubt Rockstar will adapt the full enormous area into the game.
Be that as it may, no matter how much of the Everglades is included, its totally different environments compared to typical GTA city sandboxes will definitely add some unique gameplay elements to exploration and perhaps even some of the latest game’s missions.
Florida Keys
The state’s well-known archipelago, Grand Theft Auto 6’s take on the Florida Keys pops up from the 35-second mark in its trailer – adding to the beautiful views expected in the game’s map. Like its real-life counterpart, our look at the Florida Keys so far shows off some of the group islands kept in the game.
What’s also noticeable between some of the connecting islands is the Seven Mile Bridge – one of the longest in existence at the time of its construction. How much of the bridge and archipelago will have made into the game as a part of Leonida, we don’t know quite yet, but it will make for some smooth driving either way.
Kaseya Center
Taking a keen eye to not miss this one, a GTA 6 version of Miami’s massive Kaseya Center arena in Biscayne Bay shows up on the left at the trailer’s 25-second mark.
Although it’s a little bit out of focus behind the woman in the convertible, you can not only make out the flat spherical shape and raised platforms on its roof, but the distinct gridded windows as well. The real-life Kaseya Center also features horizontal slits into the walls of the building’s design, but Rockstar seems to have chosen a more zig-zag design to make its neon lights shine more distinctly.
Although a multi-purpose arena for various events like concerts, the Kaseya Center still prominently serves as a basketball arena since being opened by the owners of Miami Heat. It remains to be seen as to whether you’d be allowed to wander in and watch a game, play a cheeky round of three throws, or simply drive by the bask in its architectural glory. Whichever way, we’re excited all the same.
King of Diamonds
Just before we get through 30 seconds of the GTA 6 trailer, we were hit with a shot of what’s clearly the King of Diamonds strip club on the game’s map. Another well-known Miami attraction, it makes sense for this to be part of the game if you’re familiar with its notoriety.
While normally twerking strippers and purple lighting could just be part of the “insert strip club here” checklist, there are some distinct elements in the trailer shot that narrow it down to it being Miami’s hangout spot for big-name rappers. The stripper platforms shine with fluorescent lighting as the real-life club does, there are hung balloons regularly part of its decor, and there’s even the extravagant sparkler-featured bottle service that KoD’s known for.
The most notable feature though is the sign for “Make It Rain Mondays,” which seems like a nod to the “Make It Rain” reality show based in the real-life King of Diamonds that was announced and had a trailer drop in mid-2012. Although it’s uncertain if it ever actually aired, it’s certainly a well-hidden easter egg.
If Grand Theft Auto 6 follows its predecessors and makes strip clubs part of its “romancing” activities, it’s interesting to know the developer’s truly done its research in bringing 72nd Avenue’s biggest name to life.
Miami Beach
Being a huge part of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it only makes sense for Miami Beach and all of its namesake sands to be part of GTA 6’s map. The most notable shot we saw of this was of South Beach – showing a stunning long shot of the game’s captured shimmering sands and lush greenery between the city’s towering buildings.
If we were to pick any shot to be a testament to how much detail has gone into Miami’s recreation into Vice City and its sunny vistas for GTA 6, this would be one of the best.
Ocean Drive
Known by gamers for being the location of GTA: Vice City’s first safe house, Ocean View Hotel, Ocean Drive is one of Miami’s most famous streets. Just by putting the above trailer screenshot next to real-life shots of Ocean Drive, you can clearly make out the recreated Art Deco hotels, bars, and restaurants that the street is known for – along with the trees in the middle of the South Beach road.
Compared to Ocean Drive’s appearances in various TV shows and movies over the years, it’s doubtful its use in GTA 6 will be much beyond car speed chases and shootouts in the game’s campaigns. But even if that’s the case, it’ll be a beautiful backdrop for the series’ usual gameplay.
WTVY-TV Tower
Right from the opening shot of the GTA 6 trailer, the WTVY-TV stood out from the get-go against the water-covering highway in the front. The highest point in Florida at 579 meters tall, the Bethlehem structure certainly makes a bold impression even in its gaming form.
Intended in real life as a broadcast tower by WTVY channel 4, its GTA 6 adaptation will likely make for more fun video game-style shenanigans like trying to see if you can climb to the top and parachute from above. Alternatively, you could just steal a plane and adore it as part of the view as you fly by.
Wynwood
A colorful hub for outdoor murals, the first look at Wynwood in the GTA 6 trailer looks like a map location beautiful enough to make you want to go for a real-world visit yourself. Identifiable with its abundance of brightly vivid murals, Wynwood is essentially an outdoor art museum that conveys the creative soul of Miami, so far looking like it’s been well-adapted in Rockstar’s latest game.
Even if GTA 6’s Wynwood doesn’t offer much else to do in terms of gameplay, initial impressions at least make it look like it will be a visually stunning stop on a virtual tour of Vice City.
Now that you’ve sampled our list of real-life GTA 6 map locations, our GTA 6 cheats list should be your next stop. If you can’t wait for the follow-up to one of the best PC games of all time, check out the latest on the GTA 6 Steam version. We’ve also got thoughts on the GTA 6 map size from a former Rockstar dev, as well GTA 6 launch predictions from GTA voice actor Ned Luke.
Additional contributions by Nat Smith