GTA 6: Unique Locations We Want to See in the Game

Location Scouting

Grand Theft Auto VI is less than six months out, with nearly 0 chance of delay, and we’re all gripped to our seats in anticipation for this expansive game. It feels like every day there’s a new leak, claim, point of speculation, or influencer crashing out that we haven’t seen more of the game yet.

Speaking of influencers and speculation, one of the most impressive feats I’ve seen to date is the Mapping Project. This group of wizards and cartographers have managed to take every screenshot, trailer clip, and piece of leaked footage to create an extensive speculative map of GTA VI’s state of Leonida.

While some of the areas are more set in stone and others are blank due to there not being much content around them, it’s impressive to see how much they’ve managed to put down from ultimately what is so little in terms of sources. It’s easy to write this off as cheap guessing, but when you look at the GTA V mapping project from the lead up to that game, you can see how close these people are able to get to the real thing.

GTA VI mapping project via the GTA Mapping Project Discord.

So, shape and layout of Leonida aside – what will we be able to do here? What will we be able to see? Where will we be able to go? Leonida’s point of inspiration in real life is the US State of Florida, which is known for it’s vast array of different locations – from rural towns to industrial cities and tourist trap beaches, to sprawling swamps in what is considered to be one of America’s top states for biodiversity. The potential here is unlimited.

Here, I wanted to discuss some of the different location types I’d love to see in GTA VI. Be sure to hold around to the end of the article, because I’ve thought of some realistic things which I haven’t seen other creators talk about.

This is separated into three categories:

• Recreation and Tourism, which focuses on locations which will often be heavy in gameplay elements and things for players to do.
• Immersion, which is all about the little places you can come across to help sell the facsimile of modern-day America.
• Wow Factor, a category full of impressive and unique locations which help sell the spectacle of the world. My favourite of all of proposed locations is in this category.

Recreation and Tourism:

Working Casino

When the Diamond Casino and Resort launched for GTA Online in 2019, it was a hugely successful update. Players were free to play numerous classic gambling minigames including Horse Betting, 3-Card Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, and more. It provided a social space where players could partake in chill and playful activities with eachother.

If GTA VI were to launch with a similar feature ready, it would mean more players could experience the casino games in singleplayer – as well as having it ready to go when the Online launches shortly after release.

Personally, I’d love to see it come with even more casino games. Returning Liar’s Dice from Red Dead Redemption is always a solid choice, but I’d also like to see new games being added including Baccarat or Penny Droppers. More illicit gambling sites could also feature versions of illegal games like Five Finger Fillet, chicken fighting, or Russian Roulette.

Arcade

Six months after we got a whole host of new minigames with the Diamond Casino and Resort, we got the Diamond Casino Heist. One of the lesser-discussed features of this update was the Retro Arcade, which was host to a whole library of new and unique arcade cabinet style games. I believe that the game launching with these activities would increase longevity in playtime and provide a path for a variety of unique rewards for players. A lot of games already exist in GTA V, so porting them over with a few new options is a seemingly easy win for Rockstar!

Luxury Holiday Resort Complex

Every GTA game has had enough hotels to boot, but one thing which would make the map a little more unique – and embrace the luxury holiday vibe of Florida – is a full remote all-inclusive style holiday complex. Perhaps Jason and Lucia could book a few nights here during the story or one of their 'date' activities, and spend most of their time drinking, lounging, and swimming to their heart's contempt.

Race Track

Formula 1, Go Karts, NASCAR – all of it. We want to see a massive racing complex with tracks, garages, bars, merch stands, the lot. Miami has a rich racing culture, and Hitman: World of Assassination has a level with the type of raceway we want to see. Rockstar has added a small collection of open-wheel cars to GTA V, so there's no reason for them to not embrace that side of Floridian culture in GTA VI.

Theme Park

While the leaks have all-but-confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI’s map of Leonida won’t feature an over-the-top exaggerative parody of Disneyworld Florida, that doesn’t necessarily rule out the idea of there being any type of theme park in the game. While the theme park (Or “funfair”, as Niko put it) in GTA IV was canonically closed off due to Rockstar not coding the rides to work, GTA V’s Del Perro Pier was able to include a rollercoaster and a Ferris Wheel for players to experience- well, not “thrills” necessarily but the ability to roleplay them. If GTA VI were to introduce it’s own theme park with a couple rides and some extra amusements like shooting galleries or dunk tanks for Jason and Lucia to experience together, that would be the perfect opportunity to showcase the more wholesome aspect of their relationship during little “date night” events.

Zoo / Aquarium

Carrying on from the theme park, the zoo would be another amazing place for Jason and Lucia to go together. Not only would it be an amazing place for Rockstar to show off GTA VI’s wildlife, but they could also introduce more animals which wouldn’t be native to the Floridian locale. Lions, tigers, elephants, pandas, monkeys, penguins, you name it! It would give the Rockstar artists the perfect chance to flex their skills on some more unique animals. Having underwater glass tunnels which could showcase schools of fish swimming by as Rockstar’s gorgeous lighting engine reflects blue hues and caustics onto the players through the water and glass would create screenshots you could hang in the Louvre.

On top of this, the ability to shoot out the locks to some of the animal enclosures, or throw NPC pedestrians into the pens, to unleash carnage and panic across the zoo would be an entirely new way to play in the GTA sandbox for players.

Immersion:

Construction Sites Developing Over the Campaign

We’ve all seen the memes. Areas of Los Santos have been frozen in time since 2013, with construction sites across the city remaining dormant for over a decade. The Mile High Club building in the middle of the city is the most famous example of this, but there are also smaller houses and cul-de-sacs which have been untouched.

Meanwhile, in RDR2’s singleplayer, we see all the projects across the Frontier be built over time, in real time. By the time the epilogue rolls around, there’s so many new buildings and locations for players to see.

If GTA VI were to take this approach, with the map developing over time, with some new developments even beginning towards the end of the game – it would futureproof the inevitable developing timeline of GTA Online from facing the same issue.

A Posh Gated Community

Rich people exist everywhere, and some of them love their exclusivity. Introducing an entirely walled-off community with gates locked to players without permission to enter would add a new dynamic to the map which hasn’t really been explored in games before. Perhaps, we could eventually move into one of these expensive luxury homes and unlock the area for free exploration. Otherwise, we’d have to find less-than-legal ways to enter the premises; such as ramps, climbing the walls, or blasting through them with either sticky bombs or a strong vehicle. Of course, the local residents wouldn’t take too kindly to our trespassing, and may call the police to come and throw us out.

Abandoned Buildings, and Those Who Explore Them

GTA V had a few abandoned buildings, mostly up North in the desert, but there wasn’t much going on in them. Just squatters and people looking for a shelter to take drugs. I think GTA VI’s map should have a wider array of abandoned buildings – asylums, schools, factories, mansions, you name it.

One big aspect of modern culture is a growing community of influencers who explore and vlog in abandoned buildings, touring them for interesting sights or to find ghosts. This would be a perfect opportunity for Rockstar to poke some fun at these people, perhaps with random encounters of them setting up shots to bait engagement or get chased out of the building by Jason and Lucia dressed up like long-dead demons or axe murderers.

Influencer Group Homes

On the subject of influencers and gated communities, some of the more expensive buildings across the city should be dedicated Influencer Group Homes. TikTok and YouTube group houses have been a growing phenomenon since the late 2010s, and have garnered a reputation for being unpleasant to live nearby due to the constant ruckus, chaos, and filming of these creators.

Discovering a house which has been painted garishly bright colours, with an SUV thrown in the pool, and a group of idiots about to pull some dangerously stupid stunt to get online attention would honestly be easy pickings for Rockstar, and for sure drive some real conversation online. It could also be, let's just say a cathartic release for players who are fed up of hearing about these people online and in the news.

A Large, Loaded Shopping Mall

Rampant capitalism is the heart of Americana, and while GTA V did feature a large shopping mall – players couldn’t explore the various shops inside of it. I think that’s a huge missed opportunity which GTA VI should absolutely capitalise on. It would also be a fitting return, as we had a similar deal back in Vice City.

A mall would not only be a way for Rockstar to flex their creativity in coming up with unique brands and store types for the GTA universe, but it could also host a wide variety of the ingame shops in a concentrated location for ease of access to players wanting to get new clothes, weapons, styles, and whatever else may be available to buy ingame. Cafes and restaurants could offer food for health regeneration and date locations for Jason and Lucia, iFruit stores could offer upgrades for the player phones with new cases, earphones for listening to music on-foot, and perhaps even better models which can support more apps. Finish this off with a luxury car on display like in DeadRising 2’s Fortune City mall, and you’ve opened up the potential for interior carnage.

Finish this location off with a mission much like Payday 2’s “Mallcrashers” heist where players have to wreck various stores for protection money or insurance fraud, and you’ve got a place which serves both gameplay and story.

Power Plant

All these buildings need power. The modern world can’t survive without it. Now, what if GTA VI featured a large Nuclear Power Facility? It could be one of the restricted areas which immediately gives players a wanted level if they enter. Not only would this be great for immersion, but what if for some reason we also had a mission take place here? A series of unfortunate events could happen, and while causing a meltdown would be unrealistic for the game, the city temporarily losing power and being plunged into a blackout would be a perfect opportunity for chaos.

Imagine for a little while, between the mission knocking down the power and a set point a couple missions later in the story, the city is facing a blackout. Emergency services are spread thin, looters and gangs are roaming the street, litter is piling up and places are being set on fire. This could entirely change up the pace of the story and really expose the violent nature of humans during moments of crisis.

Wow Factor:

NASA-esque Launch Platform (SERA?)

We saw the name SERA back in the infamous 2022 leaks, but between two trailers and a goodybag of screenshots, we haven’t seen anything official showcasing what it could be. Most speculation related to it, however, suggests it could perhaps be something like the NASA launch platforms in Florida. While it’s clear Rockstar will never let us explore the stars in a GTA game, perhaps a point in the story where we witness a Rocket take off – successfully or otherwise – would really raise the bar for the moments of spectacle in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Historical Revolutionary and Civil War Forts

Florida is a very relevant location in the history of United States, with a variety of historical forts from the American Revolutionary War and Civil Warm such as Fort Pickens and Fort Clinch. Having such forts in GTA VI would not only establish Leonida as a State with a long history in the GTA universe, but they would be great places for player exploration and easter eggs. They’re also the type of iconic location for an epic memorable mission to take place at.

Water-Based Crystal Caverns

Florida is unique in that most of its natural caves are underwater, forming extensive and gorgeous aquifer systems. Places like Devil’s Den or Leon Sinks could be recreated to showcase Rockstar’s amazing worldbuilding talent. As GTA VI also has underwater exploration, perhaps some of the caverns could be entirely underwater, only able to be explored by players in Scuba gear and lead towards secret hidden gem locations which would only be found by a daring and patient few. Other ones could perhaps only be explored only via boat to encourage their usage.

Bioluminescent Beaches

This one is my personal favourite for sure: the real-life Florida is home to some of these bioluminescent beaches, such as Cocoa Beach. This is caused by reactive algae in the water which is triggered by the motion of the waves, causing them to glow. Heading to one of these places in the middle of the night and running through the water as we kick up the glowing algae could be one of the most visually beautiful moments not only in the GTA series, but gaming as a whole. Even in the new iteration of GTA Online, heading down to one of these beaches with your friends and watching the glowing waves roll in as you chat about your real lives would feel… peaceful? Like a relaxing night with people who may be hundreds of miles away. Now that is truly special.

One more thing

When the GTA V version of GTA Online and Red Dead Online both launched, each was originally set around six months before the singleplayer campaign. While that’s still true for Red Dead Online due to the unfortunate lack of updates, Grand Theft Auto Online has evolved to be set in the modern day. Various updates have showcased how characters have grown over the past decade, and introduced new locations into Southern San Andreas. Unfortunately, other parts of the map have been frozen in time, left in 2013 – in certain cases, with changes to areas in the maps being reverted from their post singleplayer state.

I think this time, GTA Online should start off set from six months to a year after the GTA VI singleplayer with the map reflecting what Leonida looks like after the story. Any new buildings should be built, any destroyed ones should either remain as such or be replaced entirely, and so on. This would help transition the timeline of our new version of GTA Online forwards alongside us, keep the continuity of the world, and future-proof any changes and updates Rockstar may want to make to the map for however long we may be spending here.

And that’s all we have for today. What did you think of the locations mentioned in this article? Be sure to let us know on our X @GTABase, or use the comments section below to share your thoughts! We’d love to hear (and see examples) of any cool locations GTA VI could have!