GTA 6 is taking players back to Vice City – only this time, the borders will expand to the wider state of Leonida. And that’s incredibly exciting for the thousands of gamers who are fans of the 2002 edition and looking forward to seeing what’s new with this iconic GTA location.
However, it does feel like Rockstar Games is starting to run out of fresh ideas. For example, Grand Theft Auto IV took us back to Liberty City, which we’d already seen in Grand Theft Auto III. Likewise, Grand Theft Auto V brought back Los Santos from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Obviously, the ground we’re retreading isn’t exactly the same. These locations have all been expanded and are different to how they originally appeared, but we’re really hoping future games take us somewhere… new.
So, here are some of our suggestions for where GTA 6 should have been set. (Who knows, they may be used for GTA VII instead?)
Where GTA 6 Should Have Been Set
1. Washington D.C.
Admittedly this might not be the best idea given the current social climate in America, but if it was good enough for Fallout 3, it’s good enough for Grand Theft Auto. Plenty of iconic landmarks, and its proximity to the Capitol, could lead to some excellent espionage-based missions. The corruption of the in-game government agencies would make for an excellent single-player story here. Imagine a GTA game where you’re not just a street-level criminal, but a player in the highest echelons of political power — or someone trying to bring it all down.
Imagining GTA VII: A political thriller where you play a disgraced lobbyist turned underground fixer, navigating the swamp of Leonida’s political elite. Think House of Cards meets Grand Theft Auto.
2. Houston
Houston honestly feels like the perfect-sized city to base a Grand Theft Auto game in. The settings don’t need to be vast concrete jungles, as we’ve seen with GTA V, so somewhere with a healthy mix of skyscrapers and open space would be great. Not sure where the story would go here, but it’d make an excellent setting nonetheless, and it’s a location the series could truly make its own. The oil industry, the space centre, the sprawling suburbs — there’s a lot of narrative potential.
Imagining GTA VII: A story about a down-on-his-luck oil rig worker who gets pulled into a smuggling operation that spirals into a city-wide conspiracy involving organised crime, corrupt politicians, and the space industry.
3. Philadelphia
Philly feels like an especially apt location to base a Grand Theft Auto game. It’s got a great culture and we’d love to see what Rockstar could do with a story set here. An homage to the Rocky franchise and/or Always Sunny In Philadelphia would be a must too. The city’s rich history, passionate sports culture, and distinct neighbourhoods would make for a vibrant and memorable map.
Imagining GTA VII: A gritty tale of a former boxer turned debt collector who gets caught between the city’s organised crime families and a corrupt police force. Bonus points for a side mission involving a certain fictional pub in South Philly.
4. San Diego
If Rockstar is dead-set on keeping San Andreas as a setting, it could at least move the story to a part we’ve never seen before. GTA: San Andreas had locations based on Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, meaning San Diego is free for the taking if it wants to go somewhere new. The proximity to the Mexican border could also open up interesting storylines involving cartels and smuggling.
Imagining GTA VII: A border-crossing epic where you play a smuggler caught between the cartels of Mexico and the corrupt officials of San Diego. The map could stretch from the city to the desert and even into a fictionalised Tijuana.
5. Atlanta
Another city with great culture. We’re surprised Rockstar hasn’t taken Atlanta for a spin sooner, especially one of the 2D top-down games. Like Houston it’s got a good mix of dense buildings and open air so we’re sure it’d make for a great open-world game. The city’s status as the cultural capital of the South, its booming film industry, and its history of social change all offer rich material for satire.
Imagining GTA VII: A story set in the world of Southern hip-hop and entertainment, where you play a rising star whose involvement with a shady record label drags you into a world of violence, betrayal, and corporate corruption.
6. Chicago
This one’s tricky, because Watch Dogs has already done Chicago and it did it exceptionally well. Even dismissing that cheeky E3 demo. If any studio could do better than a Ubisoft open-world it’d be Rockstar, so we’d more than encourage the developers to give it a go. There’s plenty to play with — the architecture, the politics, the history of organised crime. A Rockstar take on the Windy City would be something special.
Imagining GTA VII: A prohibition-era prequel or a modern-day tale of the city’s infamous political machine and its connection to organised crime. Either way, Rockstar would bring a level of detail and satire that could redefine the city in gaming.
Also, Read
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The Case for Vice City
Of course, let’s be fair — Vice City itself deserves another shot. The original 2002 game is iconic, but it was limited by the technology of its time. A fully realised Vice City with modern hardware, set within the wider state of Leonida, could be the most detailed and immersive open world Rockstar has ever built. The neon-lit streets, the art deco architecture, the beaches, the Everglades-inspired swamps — it’s a setting that’s practically built for a Grand Theft Auto game.
We’re just hoping that after GTA 6, Rockstar takes a chance on somewhere entirely new. Our money is on Houston or Philadelphia.
GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A PC release date has not yet been announced.