From Vice City (2002) to Leonida: how GTA's Florida changed
In 2002, GTA Vice City took players to a fictional Miami of neon, pastel jackets and 80s radio. Twenty-four years later, GTA 6 returns to that same fictional city, but places it inside an entire state: Leonida. This comparison tells the story of how Rockstar’s Florida changed, what returns and what is completely new.
Two eras, two scales
| GTA Vice City (2002) | GTA 6 (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| In-game era | 1986 | Present day |
| Setting | Vice City alone | The state of Leonida, six confirmed areas |
| Protagonist | Tommy Vercetti | Jason and Lucia |
| Inspiration | The Miami of Scarface and Miami Vice | Contemporary Florida, social media included |
The 2002 Vice City: an icon across two islands
The original Vice City was compact: two main islands connected by bridges, crossable in a few minutes on a bike. Yet it felt huge, because every corner had personality: Ocean Beach and its art deco hotels, the port, Little Havana, the construction sites of Vice Point. It was a city built around one precise aesthetic, 1986 between neon and glamorous crime, with a soundtrack doing half the work.
The limits were technical: PlayStation 2 and a first-generation open world. Interiors were few, water was an impassable border, and the “Florida” outside the city simply did not exist.
The 2026 Leonida: the whole of Florida
GTA 6 flips the perspective: Vice City is no longer the game, it is one area of the game. Around it are the Leonida Keys, the Grassrivers wetlands, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park: the complete Florida, from tropical islands to agricultural inland, set in the present day.
The change of era is the deepest difference. The 2002 Vice City told the 80s through nostalgia; GTA 6’s Leonida tells the present through satire: influencers, livestreams, forgotten small towns and mass tourism. In the trailers, this contrast between glossy and decayed is everywhere.
What returns
- The city itself: the same basic fictional geography, waterfront, art deco and canals. Players of the original will recognize the echoes.
- The eternal sunset: the warm, saturated light remains Vice City’s visual signature, upgraded by modern graphics.
- Crime as social climbing: Tommy Vercetti started from nothing to take the city; Jason and Lucia chase the same promise of redemption, as a couple.
- An explicit homage: preordering GTA 6 gets you the Vintage Vice City Pack, a celebration pack inspired precisely by Tommy Vercetti’s era.
What is completely new
- The scale: from two islands to an entire state with six confirmed areas.
- The contemporary era: smartphones, social media and today’s culture instead of 1986.
- The protagonist duo: two intertwined points of view instead of one.
- The wilderness: wetlands, national parks and wildlife, everything that was technically impossible in 2002.
Why this comparison matters
Vice City is not just another map: for many it is the most beloved chapter in the series. GTA 6 takes the risk of touching a legend, and the choice to set it in the present rather than the 80s has divided fans since the first trailer. The definitive answer arrives on November 19, 2026: in the meantime you can get a feel for the new Leonida on our interactive map, which will be populated with real locations at launch.
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 6 a remake of Vice City?
No. It is a completely new chapter set in the present day, where Vice City is one of the areas of the state of Leonida.
Will Tommy Vercetti appear in GTA 6?
There is no official confirmation. Rockstar has historically kept the universes of the series’ different eras separate.
Why is the state called Leonida and not Florida?
Rockstar has always used fictional names for its places: Liberty City for New York, Los Santos for Los Angeles. Leonida is Florida’s fictional counterpart.