Leonida and the new Vice City: everything we know about the GTA 6 map

Everything we know about Leonida and the new Vice City in GTA 6

Rockstar Games confirmed that GTA VI takes place in the fictional state of Leonida, a detailed recreation of Florida with Vice City — the studio's version of Miami — as its major urban hub. Game Informer issue #382, published September 29, 2026, ran a 14-page cover story based on the Rockstar team's trips to South Florida and interviews with developers, offering the most detailed map breakdown released so far.

Vice City: the most ambitious city Rockstar has ever built

Vice City has already appeared in three previous games — the original 1997 GTA, Vice City (2002), and Vice City Stories (2006) — but according to Rockstar senior vice president of narrative Rupert Humphries, the team spent the last several years taking multiple trips to Miami and South Florida for reference material and first-hand experience. The result is a completely rebuilt city, set in the modern day instead of the 1980s, with seashell-white high-rise buildings, a glitzy downtown area, and culturally diverse neighborhoods that closely mirror real-world Miami.

Leonida has six main regions

Although Vice City is GTA VI's centerpiece location, Humphries states the adventure is really about the entire state of Leonida. The map is split into six primary regions:

• Vice City — the central metropolis, inspired by Miami.
• Leonida Keys — a chain of islands to the south, inspired by the Florida Keys.
• Grassrivers — wetlands inspired by the Everglades, carrying an in-fiction history as a drug-running hotbed.
• Port Gellhorn — a seedy port town littered with abandoned attractions, cheap motels and derelict strip malls, inspired by Florida's less-touristy northern areas.
• Ambrosia — a region of gated communities built around private jet ownership, reflecting the state's economic contrasts.
• Mount Kalaga National Park — a wilderness park standing in for Florida's large nature reserves.

Real-world inspiration: the Florida cities behind the map

According to Paul MacPherson, Rockstar's senior vice president of environment art, the team studied cities such as Panama City, Jacksonville and Ocala, plus smaller rural towns, to capture the distinct, more rural culture of northern Florida — the basis for the Port Gellhorn region. Vice City itself directly reflects contemporary Miami, with its white high-rise facades and culturally diverse neighborhoods.

Rockstar describes Leonida as the biggest map the studio has ever created, easily surpassing any previous setting in the franchise, including GTA V's.

Frequently Asked Questions

What real state is Leonida based on?

Leonida is Rockstar's fictional version of the state of Florida, with Vice City representing Miami. This was confirmed in Game Informer issue #382's cover story, published September 29, 2026.

How many regions does the Leonida map have?

Six primary regions confirmed so far: Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and Mount Kalaga National Park, according to Game Informer.

Is Vice City the same city from the older games?

It's the same franchise location, but completely rebuilt and set in the present day, moving away from the retro 1980s aesthetic of the earlier Vice City games.

Which real Florida cities inspired the map?

Miami directly inspired Vice City. Regions like Port Gellhorn draw from Panama City, Jacksonville, Ocala and small rural towns in northern Florida, according to Rockstar's environment art team.

Is Leonida bigger than the GTA V map?

Yes. Rockstar describes Leonida as the biggest map the studio has ever built, easily surpassing the Los Santos and Blaine County map from GTA V.