GTA 6‘s map can make GTA V‘s areas look small in comparison, and not just because of its sheer size difference. Leonida is over 10 times more populated than the latest version of San Andreas, according to Brazilian content creator DavyJones.
DavyJones was one of the select few invited to visit Rockstar North in July this year, and he asked Rockstar North co-director and development leader Rob Nelson about a series of topics—including the map size and a likely 30FPS lock even on the PS5 Pro.
“Vice City alone is twice the size of Los Santos, but the areas outside of the city are 11 times the size,” Nelson told DavyJones, translated from his recounting (in Portuguese) during a livestream. While the capital of Vice City is bound to steal the spotlight in the game, there are plenty of towns and smaller cities throughout the state of Leonida, according to him.
These peripheral cities and towns are a staple of GTA games (where else would Trevor live/wake up in his underpants?), and it seems they may play an even bigger role in the upcoming sequel. GTA V veterans are likely familiar with the relatively empty Paleto Bay in the north or Sandy Shores in the mid-eastern part of San Andreas.
In fact, the GTA 6 map seems to showcase other less populated areas, such as the Leonida Keys in the south and the mountains in Port Gellhorn or Mount Kalaga National Park. Given the game’s campaign could clock in at around 80 hours—not counting murderous shenanigans—Leonida’s less touristy destinations could see a lot more play than their counterparts from previous games.
The jump in playable area and density shouldn’t be surprising by itself, considering how far technology has come since the release of GTA V in 2013 (just to make a point, the mainline Destiny franchise lived and died between GTA V and GTA 6). It’s still an impressive leap considering how alive its predecessor already felt over a decade ago.
GTA 6 releases on Nov. 19 on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X | S.
