The clearest change is the setting: GTA V uses Los Santos and Blaine County to evoke present-day Southern California, while GTA VI moves to Leonida, with modern Vice City and places beyond it. Rockstar has described GTA V’s world as open from the beginning, but its public GTA VI material does not establish matching access rules or map-area measurements. So the settings can be compared; claims that GTA VI’s map is definitively larger cannot be confirmed from Rockstar’s published descriptions.
At a glance: Los Santos and Blaine County vs. Leonida
| Open-world feature | GTA V | GTA VI |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside, and beaches, framed by Rockstar as a reimagined present-day Southern California. Rockstar’s 2011 announcement. | The state of Leonida, home to modern Vice City and areas beyond it. Rockstar’s official GTA VI site and first-trailer announcement. |
| Disclosed world structure | Rockstar said the world was open from the beginning and described travel from mountain peaks through city streets to the ocean floor. May 2013 preview roundup. | Rockstar’s reviewed descriptions establish Leonida and Vice City, but do not specify complete access rules or traversal structure. |
| Story’s connection to the setting | Three playable protagonists—Michael, Franklin, and Trevor—have distinct lives and skills. Rockstar’s May 2013 preview roundup. | Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos are at the center of a criminal conspiracy spanning Leonida. See Rockstar’s character pages and second-trailer announcement. |
| Official comparable map-area figure | Not stated in the reviewed Rockstar sources. | Not stated in the reviewed Rockstar sources. |
How the settings differ
GTA V: a city framed by Southern California landscapes
GTA V pairs Los Santos with surrounding hills, countryside, and beaches. Rockstar presented it as a fictionalized take on present-day Southern California, making the open world a mix of metropolitan streets and landscapes outside the city rather than a city-only setting.
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IRIPLEZO Grand Theft Auto V | $24.33 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition Playstation 4 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Grand Theft Auto V | $84.00 | Buy on Amazon |
GTA VI: Vice City within the wider state of Leonida
GTA VI shifts the fictional geography to Leonida. Vice City is part of that setting, but Rockstar’s wording also points beyond the city. The announced story follows Jason and Lucia through a conspiracy across Leonida, connecting the state to the narrative as well as establishing it as the game’s wider setting.
Rockstar’s first-trailer announcement calls Leonida home to “the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond.” That confirms the setting extends beyond Vice City in the fiction; it does not provide a complete list of playable regions or their boundaries.
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- STUNNING VISUALS — Enhanced levels of fidelity and performance with new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, HDR options, ray tracing, improved texture quality, and more
- FASTER LOADING — Quicker access to the action as the world of Los Santos and Blaine County load in faster than ever before.
- ADAPTIVE TRIGGERS AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK — Feel every moment through the DualSense controller, from directional damage to weather effects, rough road surfaces to explosions, and more.
- TEMPEST 3D AUDIO — Hear the sounds of the world with pinpoint precision: the throttle of a stolen supercar, the rattle of neighbouring gunfire, the roar of a helicopter overhead, and more.
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the European version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
What is known about exploring each world
GTA V’s launch-era description
In its May 2013 preview roundup, Rockstar said GTA V’s entire world was open from the beginning. It described a range from mountain tops through Los Santos streets to the ocean floor. The same launch-era material highlighted activities such as golf, tennis, yoga, cycling, and parachuting, along with vehicle customization and encounters with characters during free exploration. These are descriptions of GTA V, not confirmations of GTA VI activities.
GTA VI’s access and traversal rules remain unclear
Rockstar’s public descriptions establish Leonida, Vice City, Jason, and Lucia, but do not explain whether the whole world is accessible from the start, how movement between regions works, or how its exploration compares step by step with GTA V. An extended look released by Rockstar on August 27, 2026 was captured entirely from in-game footage on PlayStation 5, according to the announcement. That identifies the footage’s source and platform; it is not a measured map comparison or a guarantee that every feature shown will appear in the final game.
Rank #2
- Experience the world of Grand Theft Auto V like never before with the power of the PlayStation 4.
- Explore the City of Los Santos, the countryside and even the ocean.
- Play through an epic single player experience using three very different characters.
- Join your friends in GTA Online and see what trouble you can cause.
- Play golf, tennis, see a film or call someone and just hang out.
Is the GTA 6 map bigger than the GTA 5 map?
There is no directly comparable official map-area figure in the Rockstar material reviewed. Rockstar describes each game’s setting and some aspects of GTA V’s world structure, but does not publish matching measurements for the two maps. That means a definitive size ranking cannot be established from those official descriptions.
Be cautious with numeric rankings that circulate without clear sourcing. A fan estimate may be useful as an estimate if its method and attribution are clear, but it is not an official Rockstar measurement. The grounded comparison is geographic: GTA V covers Los Santos and surrounding landscapes; GTA VI is set in Leonida, including Vice City and beyond.
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Rank #3
Which game’s open world is more clearly documented?
GTA V has a more explicit Rockstar description of its exploration structure: open from the beginning, with travel spanning mountains, city streets, and the ocean floor. GTA VI’s confirmed material establishes a broader state setting and the story’s central characters, but leaves the complete region list and access rules undisclosed in the reviewed descriptions. That difference is about what Rockstar has specified publicly—not proof that GTA VI will offer less exploration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.GTA VI release and platforms
As of October 4, 2026, Rockstar lists GTA VI as a single-player game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, scheduled for November 19, 2026. Rockstar’s June 24, 2026 pre-order announcement says the physical version will be available starting November 12 to support pre-loading and contains a download code inside the box—not a game disc. Rockstar also states the November 19 release date in its release update.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
- GRAND THEFT AUTO V: When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath land themselves in trouble, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other.
- GRAND THEFT AUTO ONLINE: Discover an ever-evolving world of choices and ways to play as you climb the criminal ranks of Los Santos and Blaine County in the ultimate shared Online experience.
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