Grand Theft Auto 6 returns players to Vice City, bringing Rockstar Games back to its fictional version of Florida. However, the upcoming game goes far beyond the familiar streets of Vice City. Rockstar has created Leonida, an expanded state inspired by American culture, communities, and everyday life.
The studio has also explained why America remains central to the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Despite having developers from different countries, Rockstar believes its outsider perspective helps shape the exaggerated worlds that players have come to recognize.
GTA 6 Expands Vice City Into the State of Leonida
GTA 6 introduces a much larger environment than the original Vice City. Leonida combines busy urban streets with tropical islands, rural communities, and smaller towns.
Players will follow Jason and Lucia as they explore this fictional version of Florida. The different environments should provide a wide variety of encounters, activities, and characters throughout their journey.
Rockstar has always used real American locations as inspiration for its open worlds. Liberty City draws heavily from New York, while Los Santos reflects Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.
With Leonida, the studio continues that tradition while expanding the geographical variety of its fictional setting.
Rockstar Started Researching GTA 6 Back in 2015
Creating a believable version of Florida required extensive research. Rockstar reportedly began visiting real locations in 2015, years before GTA 6 received its official announcement.
Developers explored neighborhoods, local communities, nightclubs, and racetracks to understand the environments they wanted to recreate.
These visits helped the team capture details that would otherwise be difficult to reproduce. From local architecture to regional culture, Rockstar used its research to build a world that feels familiar without directly copying reality.
The studio also uses these observations to create the exaggerated situations and social commentary associated with Grand Theft Auto.
Rockstar Explains Its Outsider Perspective on America
Rockstar co-studio head Rob Nelson recently discussed how the development team’s international background influences the franchise.
Although Grand Theft Auto frequently portrays American society, many of the people creating these worlds are not American themselves.
Nelson explained that this perspective allows developers to approach American culture differently.
“I think we’re all outsiders to this version of America. It doesn’t matter where you live, no one experiences the America that we’re portraying here in its fullness.”
His comments highlight how Rockstar combines different observations into a fictional interpretation of American life.
Rather than presenting a completely realistic representation of the United States, Grand Theft Auto exaggerates recognizable elements of society, entertainment, and popular culture.
This approach has remained an important part of the franchise for decades.
Could Grand Theft Auto Eventually Leave America?
While Grand Theft Auto has traditionally focused on fictional American cities, the possibility of exploring another country has frequently attracted attention.
Nelson did not completely dismiss the idea of an international setting. However, he suggested that America still offers plenty of opportunities for future games.
“Never say never, but there’s still so much to do in America.”
His statement suggests Rockstar is not running out of inspiration for American locations anytime soon.
Nevertheless, the studio has not announced Grand Theft Auto 7 or confirmed where a future installment might take place.
Any suggestions about the next game’s location remain speculation.
GTA 6 Continues Rockstar’s Open-World Tradition
With GTA 6, Rockstar is once again attempting to create a detailed world inspired by real locations while maintaining its distinctive fictional identity.
Vice City provides a recognizable foundation, while Leonida allows the developers to explore environments beyond the urban setting.
The combination of extensive research, international perspectives, and exaggerated American culture remains central to Rockstar’s approach.
For now, the studio’s attention remains on GTA 6 and its November 19, 2026 release.
Although future Grand Theft Auto games could eventually explore other countries, Rockstar clearly believes America still has plenty of stories left to tell.
