GTA 6 map leak hints at a Vice City comeback, but there's a catch
While GTA 6 is still likely years away, a recent leak hints towards the return of Vice City.
Even though Rockstar Games has yet to confirm the existence of Grand Theft Auto VI, that hasn’t stopped the speculation, leaks, and rumors from swirling.
Most recently, a supposed GTA 6 map leak was discovered online (as spotted by Dexerto), and it points to the possible return of Vice City. The slightly out-of-focus video is pretty run-of-the-mill in the gaming industry. Is it somehow faked? Or does it legitimately point to the future of the series?
Aside from that, a famous GTA V mod called Vice City Remastered was recently removed without explanation, possibly hinting towards a Vice City revival of some kind. That could be due to its inclusion in GTA 6, or is it something else?
GTA V’s removal of the Vice City Remastered mod could indicate the famous location is making a comeback.
Since launch, GTA V has become a major success for Rockstar, selling over 145 million copies. The franchise was already hugely popular before, but eight years after its release, excitement for the next installment is through the roof.
That’s why rumors and leaks appear so often, such as the video (which has been taken down from the GTA Forums) that depicts the supposed map of GTA 6 in its entirety, showing a massive open world with many side activities and points of interest.
These include a car wash, gym, salon and spa, and clothing stores. Aside from that, a slew of activities such as basketball, golf, sea races, and parachuting were shown as well. The map resembles the one from Vice City, only it’s much larger in size, with an entire additional area of to the west side, including a separate island.
The validity of this video is up in the air and should be taken with a grain of salt. Leaker Tom Henderson doesn’t expect the game to be out until 2025, which Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has corroborated. So, seeing the full map already laid out is questionable if it’s tied to GTA 6.
The other piece of the puzzle is the recent removal of the popular GTA Vice City Remastered mod from GTA V.
GTA V’s Vice City Remastered mod is no more.
As insider Tez2 explained over Twitter, the mod had been active for years, so it’s “weird” for it to be removed now. Why now? It could indicate the return of Vice City in an official form, either in Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S or potentially GTA 6.
Rockstar likely wouldn’t want a fan-made mod out there that will compete with and contradict an upcoming game, so it stands to reason the company would outright remove the mod — even if it’s one of the most popular in GTA V.
Another possible idea is that Rockstar could be developing its own remastered version of GTA Vice City to release in 2022, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the original game for PS2.
At this point, there’s no way to be certain, as Rockstar hardly ever comments on rumors or leaks like these. Nonetheless, there’s so much the studio could do with the series. They could revisit old locations, remake classic entries like Vice City with updated graphics and mechanics, or do something entirely new.
In the meantime, we can all look forward to Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition, which is due out on November 11, 2021 for PlayStation 5.
This article was originally published on
