Although very little is officially confirmed about Grand Theft Auto VI, rumors have remained prevalent for nearly two years that the series will head back to Vice City. Some of this began to surface again in 2018, when alleged leaks of GTA 6's maps showed up online. Many Grand Theft Auto fans have since dismissed those rumors, but some new evidence has recently surfaced and reignited debates over GTA 6's map all over again.
It started in 2018, when a supposed map of Grand Theft Auto VI was anonymously leaked online. With a hotly anticipated title like GTA 6, rumors and fake leaks are common. However, this map stirred up quite a bit of debate within the fandom, since it seemed to indicate the series would be returning to Vice City.
Vice City, the primary setting of the fourth main game in the GTA franchise, is an iconic location within the series. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, are highly regarded within the fandom. So, when an alleged map leak seemed to indicate GTA 6's return to Vice City, people were cautiously optimistic. This love of the 1980's setting is why GTA 6 has a ton of Vice City-related fake leaks, and it's undeniable that a lot of fans would love to see it happen for real. Now, new evidence seems to indicate those early map leaks may have been right all along - or is it simply more pandering to GTA's fanbase?
The Newest GTA 6 Map Leaks And Comparisons
While a lot of fans have been hopeful for a return to Vice City in GTA 6, the leaked maps from 2018 have mostly been dismissed since then. However, on October 9th, a more detailed version of the map leaked on 4chan. While some people were quick to dismiss it as just better quality fake leaks and GTA 6 rumors, other users began to pick the images apart. One user on the GTA Forums, Arthur Bell, even did a side-by-side comparison with satellite images of Miami (see the above photo). Additionally, the scalings of these new map leaks fit with those found in Grand Theft Auto V.
The biggest question is whether or not this proves the older map leaks were real - or if the anonymous source simply copied the map layout from the 2018 leak and made a better version. Comparative analysis of the new leaked map does bear a striking resemblance to real-world Miami, all of which could indicate Grand Theft Auto VI takes place in and around Vice City. However, this would also be the case if the map was simply faked using altered satellite photos.
For now, it's best to take these new leaks with a grain of salt. Grand Theft Auto VI has had an incredible number of rumors and alleged leaks in the past few years, and most of them are assuredly not true. As long as Rockstar Games is still working on the project, fans will have to wait for an official announcement before giving too much credence to these newest map rumors.