Esports Betting / Esports Betting News / Where Is GTA 6 Set?

Where Is GTA 6 Set? New ‘Leonida’ Map Revealed

Andrew Boggs

Sports Writer

Publish Date: 28/05/2025

Fact checked by: Alyx Tzamantanis

Key Points

GTA 6 is set in Leonida, which is set to be Rockstar’s satirical take on Florida.
Vice City, the famous location from Rockstars 2002 hit, is at the center of the Leonida region.
Both GTA 6 trailers are packed with information about this new map, which expands far beyond Vice City.

GTA 6's Leonida Map: Vice City, Swamps, Beaches, and Beyond

When Rockstar finally dropped the first GTA 6 trailer in December 2023, the internet basically short-circuited. There had been so many GTA 6 updates, leaks and Reddit detective work for years, and yet somehow, when the reveal hit, it still managed to surprise us.

Now, with Trailer 2 officially released, we’ve gotten an even deeper look at this sprawling, chaotic, and culturally saturated new map. The trailer’s been watched more times than most people have blinked this year. But where is GTA 6 set? The short answer is Leonida. But stick around to find out the long answer.

GTA 6's Leonida Map

So… What is Leonida?

Leonida is the new in-game state where GTA 6 takes place. It’s essentially Rockstar’s satirical spin on Florida, similar to how San Andreas is their take on California and Liberty City mirrors New York. From what we know so far from gaming news, Vice City (GTA’s iconic Miami-inspired location) is at the heart of Leonida. But this isn’t just a remaster or a copy-paste job of the 2002 classic. This Vice City is part of a much larger map, and Rockstar is clearly pushing the boundaries of scale and scope.

They’re also going all in on modern-day Florida chaos. Viral videos, live-streaming criminals, outrageous headlines, swamp towns, beach parties, airboats, and alligators in random places. It’s not just about geography, it’s about vibe, and Leonida is already nailing that.

GTA 6 leonida

The GTA 6 updates we’ve seen: Key locations confirmed in the trailers

Both of Rockstar’s trailers are packed with visual clues about the world of Leonida. Here's a breakdown of locations and elements that stood out:

1️⃣ Vice City (Downtown)

We get sweeping skyline shots, beachfront clubs, palm-lined streets, and iconic pink-and-blue neon lighting. This is clearly downtown Vice City. A modern, Instagram-influencer version of Miami with luxury condos and a not-so-subtle undercurrent of crime.

2️⃣ Swamps and backwaters

One scene shows airboats cruising through swampy terrain, hinting at Florida Everglades–style areas just outside the city limits. Expect these to be explorable, and probably dangerous.

3️⃣ Redneck rural towns

Another clip shows a group of dirt-covered guys in a beat-up truck outside a rundown convenience store. It looks like Rockstar is bringing back rural America, this time in the form of Florida’s backcountry.

4️⃣ Beaches and boardwalks

The beaches are back, and they’re busy. Jet skis, partygoers, people filming fights, it’s clear Rockstar is leaning into Florida’s messy, beach-town reality. There’s even a quick glimpse of someone dancing on top of a moving car. Florida, distilled.

A living map, the new layer of realism

One of the most exciting things about Leonida isn’t just the variety, it’s how alive it feels, even in trailer form. Rockstar is clearly focused on making dynamic, socially reactive environments. A lot of that comes from the way the world reflects today’s social media-obsessed culture.

In the trailers alone, we see:

TikTok-style vertical videos of people committing crimes
News helicopters covering live chaos
Street fights being filmed on smartphones
Animal encounters being turned into viral moments

It feels like Leonida is watching itself. That’s new for GTA. In older games, you were part of a world that existed for you to mess around in. But in GTA 6, it seems like the world has its own narrative. It’s scrolling, recording, and reacting even when you’re not doing anything.

This adds a layer of realism that’s less about graphics (though those are stunning) and more about world design. Rockstar wants Leonida to feel like a digital Florida that runs 24/7.

leonida GTA 6

Is this just Vice City again?

In name? Kind of. In execution? Absolutely not.

Let’s be clear. Vice City from 2002 was a heavily stylized version of 1980s Miami. The neon, the music, the Tommy Vercetti suits. It was very specific and deeply nostalgic. But the Vice City we’re getting in GTA 6 is set in the present day. It’s no longer just a retro paradise. It’s evolved into a much more modern, and probably more cynical, version of itself. It still has palm trees and pastel colors, but it also has vape shops, influencer parties, and what looks like a tech-driven skyline.

So while old-school fans will get their Vice City fix, this is a new beast entirely. You’re not revisiting the 80s, you’re diving into a hyper-real, Rockstar-filtered version of Florida 2025.

Why Florida works (and why it’s perfect for GTA)

Florida is kind of the perfect GTA setting in 2025. It’s unpredictable and often satirical without even trying. And that aligns beautifully with what Rockstar does best, exaggerating reality just enough to make a point.

In Florida, you’ve got:

Beautiful beaches and wild swamps
Cities dripping in luxury and towns stuck in the past
Crime, corruption, and off-the-wall headlines
Tourists, retirees, influencers, rednecks, gators, and often all in the same frame

It’s a chaotic melting pot, and Rockstar clearly intends to weaponize that chaos. Every frame of the trailers screams “Florida Man energy,” and I’d make an educated guess that the in-game internet is going to be full of parody posts and live-streamed robberies.

Vice City (Downtown)

How big is the Leonida map in GTA 6?

Rockstar still hasn’t revealed any official map size or square mileage for GTA 6, but based on everything shown across both trailers, it’s clear that Leonida is the most ambitious and geographically varied map they’ve ever built.

Trailer 1 hinted at a massive world, and Trailer 2 expanded that picture dramatically. We now see what appears to be multiple cities or dense urban zones beyond just Vice City, suggesting the presence of additional districts or satellite towns.

If Vice City is the heart of the map, Leonida is its full circulatory system. This isn’t a “one-city” GTA game. It’s a full state simulator, with everything from luxury condos to gator-infested canals coexisting in a way that feels chaotic and, somehow, believable. Rockstar is clearly aiming to create a world that feels not just big, but densely reactive, no matter where you are on the map.

GTA 6’s Leonida map overview

Here’s a recap of everything we know so far about the new Leonida map.

💡 Feature	➕ Details
Main Setting	Leonida — Rockstar’s fictional version of Florida
Main City	Vice City (a modern take on Miami)
Other Locations	Swamps, rural backcountry, beaches, boardwalks, suburbs
Map Size	Unconfirmed, but expected to be Rockstar’s largest and most detailed map yet
Theme	Modern-day Florida chaos with viral culture, satire, and criminal energy
Social Layer	In-game social media, live streams, NPCs filming crimes, viral moments

Leonida isn’t just a map, it’s a statement

More than just a setting, Leonida feels like Rockstar’s answer to the question”How do you build a world that feels more real than reality?”

GTA 6 isn’t just banking on nostalgia by bringing us back to Vice City, it’s reimagining it for a new world. One that’s faster, louder, more connected, and more absurd. From downtown beaches to gator-infested swamps, from party boats to backwoods pickup trucks, Leonida is going to be a love letter to everything weird, wild, and wildly American. And I can’t wait to get lost in it.