Rockstar Games is reportedly preparing its largest open-world map to date for Grand Theft Auto 6. New previews and comments attributed to Rockstar North suggest the full Leonida setting will be about three times larger than Red Dead Redemption 2’s playable world, with Vice City alone roughly twice the size of GTA 5’s Los Santos.
Key takeaways
- GTA 6’s complete map is reportedly about three times larger than Red Dead Redemption 2’s.
- Vice City is said to be twice the size of Los Santos.
- Leonida will combine cities, islands, wetlands, beaches, industrial areas, and rural regions.
- Water-based exploration, skydiving, racing, and other activities will expand beyond the main story.
A major increase in map scale
The reported figures come from previews of GTA 6 held at Rockstar North and comments shared by YouTuber TGG. According to those details, the complete map is twice the size of GTA 5’s map and three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2’s map. Rockstar has not publicly released a full, measured map or detailed technical breakdown, so the figures should be treated as reported information rather than independently verified measurements.
For context, one analysis estimates Red Dead Redemption 2’s full map at 43.89 square miles, with approximately 29 square miles playable. Those estimates are unofficial, and comparisons can vary depending on whether water and inaccessible terrain are included.
Vice City expands beyond Los Santos
The modern Vice City is expected to be only one part of the wider Leonida region. Preview footage has shown a dense metropolitan area surrounded by locations including the Leonida Keys, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, Mount Kalaga, and Grassrivers.
Rockstar reportedly told preview attendees that Vice City itself is about twice the size of Los Santos. The surrounding suburbs and additional regions should create a broader range of environments than GTA 5, from urban streets and industrial zones to islands, wetlands, and rural wilderness.
Exploration will extend across land and water
GTA 6’s scale is not limited to roads and highways. Demonstrated gameplay has included jet skis, kayaks, airboats, scuba diving, swimming, and skydiving. Aircraft footage and other previews also suggest that players will be able to experience Leonida from the air, while water routes may provide alternative ways to cross the map.
Other reported activities include target practice, basketball, weight training, race-car driving, off-road racing, backyard wrestling, and social-media interactions. These systems will be important if Rockstar wants the larger world to feel meaningfully populated rather than simply expansive.
Size will matter only if the world feels active
Rockstar’s open worlds are generally judged less by raw area than by density, visual detail, and interactivity. A map several times larger than Red Dead Redemption 2 could offer substantial variety, but it may also create longer travel times and more demanding streaming requirements on console hardware.
GTA 6 is scheduled for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19. Rockstar has not announced a PC release in the provided details. For ThinkComputers readers, the eventual technical specifications, storage requirements, loading behavior, and performance modes will be as important as the map’s headline size.
Via TGG on YouTube