GTA6 returns to Vice City: ties and tributes to GTA: Vice City
2026-09-02
Official screenshot · Vice City · Source: Rockstar Games
GTA: Vice City (2002) is a classic for countless players. Now GTA6's stage returns to the same city — a modernized Miami-style Vice City within the larger state of Leonida. This article maps the ties between the two.
Why "returning to Vice City" is a big deal
The GTA series rotates between cities, but Vice City is one of the most fondly remembered settings.
GTA6 is the first time the city is reimagined in the HD era (previously HD-era games only covered Liberty City and Los Santos) — the long-awaited "Miami return."
Confirmed / trailer-seen ties
Element
Notes
Vice City
The core city, modern Miami style
Ocean Beach
A coastal urban area, nodding to the original's same-named district
Little Cuba
Echoes the original's Little Havana, with a slightly changed name
Malibu Club
The original's iconic nightclub, seen in trailers (pending official confirmation)
Ocean Drive
Miami's famous street, seen in trailers
Radio station returns (the big tribute)
GTA6's soundtrack article already lists officially confirmed songs. In the rumored radio lineup, V-Rock and Emotion 98.3 are two iconic stations from the original Vice City — and Jason wears a V-Rock t-shirt in promo art, widely read as a deliberate nod to longtime fans.
The differences: old vs new
Dimension
Vice City (2002)
GTA6 (2026)
Era
1980s
Modern (near-future)
Map
A single city
The state of Leonida (six regions)
Protagonist
Tommy Vercetti (single)
Jason × Lucia (dual, first female lead)
Tech
PS2 era
Next-gen (PS5 / XSX|S)
Ties and tributes are compiled from official trailers and public material; some elements (e.g. Malibu Club) still await Rockstar's final confirmation. This site does not repost copyrighted footage or assets.
