There’s good reason to believe that Tommy Vercetti may make an appearance in Grand Theft Auto 6, and if he does, he should definitely be the main villain in the game. Vercetti was the protagonist in 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and given the rumors circulating about GTA 6’s location and setting, it’s believable that Rockstar Games could be planning on bringing Vercetti back.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is set in the mid-80s, shortly after Tommy Vercetti is released from prison. Upon his release, he’s tasked with completing a major drug deal for his old boss. But when the deal goes wrong, Vercetti sets out on a mission to find the person responsible for doing him dirty. This leads him to establish his own criminal empire. By the end of the game, Vercetti has become the ringleader of the Vercetti Crime Family, making him the top drug lord in all of Vice City.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ended on a pretty high note for Vercetti, and though the crime boss is mentioned briefly in other GTA installments, he’s yet to make a proper return to the franchise. This means much has been left in the air about his story, including whether he’s still powerful and successful or if his criminal ways landed him back in the slammer (again). There’s a lot of opportunities for Rockstar Games to take Vercetti’s story in different directions should they decide include him in GTA 6.
GTA 6's Vice City Rumors Point To Vercetti's Involvement
Perhaps the most striking evidence that Vercetti could be returning to the Grand Theft Auto franchise is the fact that many, many rumors and alleged leaks have suggested GTA 6 will take place in Vice City (with some missions presumably taking place in a Rio de Janeiro-inspired location as well). Other speculation has suggested that GTA 6 could be set in the ‘80s, and if this holds true, it means the game will be set around the time Vercetti was building his empire, or perhaps immediately after. It would make sense to include Vercetti in some capacity, or at least give players some closure on his story, if the rumors are true about GTA 6’s location and time period.
Tommy Vercetti, thanks in part to the game's writing and in part to his vocal performance by Ray Liotta, is one of the most well-received characters to come out of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and many fans have said they’d like to see him return in another Grand Theft Auto title since. If Rockstar is listening to the fans’ demands, they may be inclined to incorporate him in the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto sequel. Rather than making him a protagonist again, however, it would be wise to shake things up.
Portraying Vercetti as the villain would be a good change of pace. Perhaps GTA 6’s main character will be a member of a rival crime family in Vice City, or could even be one of Vercetti’s own men who ends up turning on him. Perhaps time has caused Vercetti to turn into the kind of feared crime lord he once rebelled against, dolling out tasks and threatening lives if his men don’t comply with his commands, and the player could be tasked with turning against him just like Vercetti turned on Sonny Forelli. Either way, it would be exciting to see Vercetti return to the Grand Theft Auto franchise in GTA 6, and to get an update on where his life has gone since the end of GTA: Vice City.