Vice City, then and now

GTA 6 marks the first return to Vice City in a full-size Grand Theft Auto since 2006. Here’s how Rockstar’s version of Miami got here.

1997 — Grand Theft Auto

The very first GTA had three cities: Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City. Seen from straight above, it was a flat grid of streets and beaches — but the name stuck.

2002 — GTA: Vice City

The game that made the name famous. Set in 1986, it follows Tommy Vercetti as he builds a criminal empire in a city soaked in pastel suits, synth-pop and cocaine-era excess. Its soundtrack and Scarface-style story made it one of the best-selling games of the PS2 era.

2006 — GTA: Vice City Stories

A prequel set in 1984, starring soldier Victor Vance. It launched on PSP before coming to PS2, and added an empire-building system where you took over businesses across the city.

2026 — GTA 6

Twenty years later, Vice City is back, set in the present day and part of a whole state, Leonida. The trailers trade the 80s nostalgia for a modern twist: viral videos, influencers, and Florida-style headlines. It’s the biggest version of the city Rockstar has ever built.

Game	Year released	Setting year	Lead
Grand Theft Auto	1997	1997	Various
GTA: Vice City	2002	1986	Tommy Vercetti
GTA: Vice City Stories	2006	1984	Victor Vance
GTA 6	2026	Present day	Lucia Caminos & Jason Duval

Why Vice City works

Rockstar’s cities are satire first. Miami gives it everything: money, beaches, nightlife, swamps, hurricanes and a news cycle that writes itself. In a state-sized map, Vice City becomes the glittering center of a much stranger world.

Read next: the Leonida map, region by region.