Vice City then and now: what Rockstar says about the return to the neon city

As of October 27, 2026. Grand Theft Auto VI takes the series back to Vice City. Rockstar Games itself speaks of a return to modern-day Vice City, for example in its November 6, 2025 announcement of the new launch date. The wording alone makes clear that the city is not a new setting for the series. This time it sits within the state of Leonida, where the whole game takes place.

How Rockstar describes today's Vice City

On its official Only in Leonida page, Rockstar presents the city as a stage for American glamour, ambition and greed. “We're a long way from the '80s,” the page admits, yet Vice City is still pitched as the country's capital of sun and fun. Rockstar opens its Newswire posts for Trailer 2 and the Launch Trailer with the line Vice City, USA.

Several neighborhoods and landmarks are named: Ocean Beach with its pastel art deco hotels and bright sand, Little Cuba and its busy bakeries, the Tisha-Wocka flea market known for knock-off brands, and the VC Port, which Rockstar bills as the cruise ship capital of the world. Some characters are closely tied to the city as well. Boobie Ike is a local legend with real estate, a strip club and a recording studio, while his partner Dre'Quan Priest, with whom he runs the Only Raw Records label, has set his sights on the Vice City music scene.

Retro nods in the editions

Rockstar leans on the past mostly in its bonus content. The Vintage Vice City Pack, included with all pre-orders and purchases made before November 20, is meant to recall the days when the neon burned brightest. According to Rockstar, it contains a two-tone sedan, the '55 Vapid Stanier, with a garage near Ocean Beach, outfits and hairstyles for Jason and Lucia, and a weapon pattern that echoes past excess.

The Ultimate Edition goes further. The '95 Grotti Cheetah is described as a tribute to Shore Drive. The Hawk & Little Morgan revolvers come with classic Vice City styling, and their description refers to the Vercetti Estate.

What is not confirmed

Rockstar has not said whether the story of GTA VI connects to earlier Vice City games. So far the Vercetti name appears only in this description of an edition item, and no link to the story has been confirmed. Rockstar has also not shared how big Vice City is or how many neighborhoods it has.

All officially named places in Vice City and Leonida are collected in our locations database. More context on the game world is available on the map page.

Sources

• Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto VI is Now Set to Launch November 19, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto VI – Only in Leonida (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Games: Only in Leonida – Vice City (place page) (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto VI – Editions (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Newswire: Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto VI — Watch Trailer 2 Now (opens in a new tab)

• Rockstar Newswire: Watch the Grand Theft Auto VI Launch Trailer (opens in a new tab)

Checked on 27 October 2026.