GTA 6 Vice City vs GTA Vice City: What's Changed
November 9, 2026 · 5 min read
On this page
- GTA 6 vs GTA Vice City at a glance
- Vice City through the years
- What's different in GTA 6
- A whole state instead of one city
- 1986 versus today
- Two leads instead of one
- Newer systems
- What GTA 6 borrows from the 2002 game
- Do you need to play Vice City before GTA 6?
- Frequently asked questions
- Is GTA 6 set in Vice City?
- Is Tommy Vercetti in GTA 6?
- Is GTA 6 a remake of Vice City?
- What year is GTA Vice City set in?
- Is GTA 6 bigger than GTA Vice City?
- Is Vice City based on Miami?
GTA 6 takes the series back to Vice City, the Miami-inspired city from 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The two games share a name and a sunny, neon look, but not much else. The 2002 game is a 1980s crime story set in one city. GTA 6 is a present-day story set across a whole state, Leonida, with Vice City as its biggest city.
Last checked: November 9, 2026. GTA 6 comes out on November 19, 2026, so this comparison uses only what Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two have confirmed before launch.
GTA 6 vs GTA Vice City at a glance
| GTA: Vice City | Grand Theft Auto VI | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | October 29, 2002 (PS2) | November 19, 2026 |
| Platforms at launch | PlayStation 2 (PC and Xbox later) | PS5 and Xbox Series X|S |
| Time period | 1986 | Present day |
| Map | Vice City | The state of Leonida, including Vice City |
| Real-world inspiration | Miami | Vice City is still based on Miami; Leonida is based on Florida |
| Protagonist | Tommy Vercetti | Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos |
| Voice of the lead | Ray Liotta | Not officially credited yet |
| Mode | Single-player | Single-player |
Vice City through the years
Vice City has appeared four times, and each version was rebuilt from scratch:
- Grand Theft Auto (1997): a top-down Vice City, one of the original game's three cities along with Liberty City and San Andreas.
- GTA: Vice City (2002): the version most people remember. It's set in 1986 and follows Tommy Vercetti's rise after he's caught in an ambushed drug deal.
- GTA: Vice City Stories (2006): a PSP prequel set in 1984, two years before Tommy arrives. It follows Victor "Vic" Vance, a minor character from the 2002 game.
- Grand Theft Auto VI (2026): a modern Vice City inside the fictional state of Leonida.
The 2002 game and Vice City Stories belong to the series' "3D universe", the continuity that started with GTA III. GTA 6 is a separate, new setting. Rockstar hasn't presented it as a continuation of Tommy's story. See our list of GTA games in order for how the timelines fit together.
What's different in GTA 6
A whole state instead of one city
In 2002, Vice City was the entire map. In GTA 6, it's one of six main areas in Leonida:
| Area | What it is |
|---|---|
| Vice City | The big city, based on Miami |
| Leonida Keys | Island chain inspired by the Florida Keys |
| Grassrivers | Swampland inspired by the Everglades |
| Port Gellhorn | A run-down former tourist area |
| Ambrosia | A rural and industrial region |
| Mount Kalaga National Park | Wilderness for hunting, fishing and off-road trails |
That makes GTA 6 closer in scope to San Andreas or GTA V, which also spread out beyond one city. Rockstar hasn't published an official map size.
1986 versus today
The 2002 game is built around 1980s excess: big hair, pastel suits and the drug trade. GTA 6 satirizes 2020s America instead. Its world takes aim at social media and influencer culture, police tactics such as body cameras, and internet memes like "Florida Man".
Two leads instead of one
Tommy Vercetti is a lone ex-convict building an empire. GTA 6 follows a criminal couple:
- Jason Duval, an Army veteran who worked for drug runners in the Leonida Keys.
- Lucia Caminos, who went to Leonida Penitentiary after fighting for her family, which came to Leonida from Liberty City.
You can play as either one. Rockstar's own pitch for the game is about the two relying on each other after an easy score goes wrong and drags them into a statewide conspiracy. For more on the series' leads, see every GTA protagonist.
Newer systems
GTA 6 adds things the 2002 game never had. Rockstar has confirmed hurricanes and tropical storms in its reworked weather system. Its trailers and previews also show an in-game social media app and far more detailed crowds, with Rockstar saying its pedestrians have about 600,000 animations compared with 55,000 in GTA V.
What GTA 6 borrows from the 2002 game
The clearest link is the Vintage Vice City Pack. Rockstar is including it with every GTA 6 pre-order and with any purchase made before November 20, 2026, describing it as items that "flash back to when the neon burned brightest". Its contents are inspired by the 2002 game and Tommy Vercetti.
Beyond that, the link is the setting itself: a Miami-inspired city on the water. Rockstar hasn't confirmed any returning characters from the 2002 game.
Do you need to play Vice City before GTA 6?
No. GTA 6 has a new story and new characters, and nothing Rockstar has released suggests you need to know the 2002 plot. Vice City is still worth a look if you want to see where the setting started, and it's easy to find. Our guide on how to play GTA Vice City in 2026 covers the Definitive Edition, the classic phone version and GTA+.
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 6 set in Vice City?
Yes. GTA 6 is mainly set in Vice City, a fictional version of Miami, inside the larger fictional state of Leonida. Leonida also includes the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.
Is Tommy Vercetti in GTA 6?
Rockstar hasn't confirmed that Tommy Vercetti appears in GTA 6. The Vintage Vice City Pack, which comes with purchases made before November 20, 2026, includes items inspired by Tommy and the 2002 game.
Is GTA 6 a remake of Vice City?
No. GTA 6 is a new game with a new story, new protagonists and a present-day setting. It reuses the Vice City name and Miami inspiration, but the city has been built from scratch as part of the state of Leonida.
What year is GTA Vice City set in?
The 2002 GTA: Vice City is set in 1986. Its PSP prequel, Vice City Stories, is set in 1984. GTA 6 is set in the present day.
Is GTA 6 bigger than GTA Vice City?
Yes, by a wide margin. The 2002 map is a single city, while GTA 6 covers a whole state with six main areas, of which Vice City is just one.
Is Vice City based on Miami?
Yes. Both the 2002 Vice City and GTA 6's version are based on Miami, and GTA 6's state of Leonida is Rockstar's take on Florida.
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