The scope of GTA 6 continues to dominate conversations across the gaming community, especially after Rockstar’s latest delay pushed the game to late 2026. With anticipation at an all-time high, fans have turned to one of the franchise’s favorite pastimes: dissecting every frame of footage to estimate the size of the map. Yet the newest round of comparisons has produced something unexpected a wave of skepticism.
The Latest Map Speculation Pushes the Limits
As discussions resurface around how expansive the world of GTA 6 might be, community-made maps have taken center stage. Some of these mock-ups are extraordinarily detailed, stitched together from trailer references, geographic markers, and clever guesswork. But not everyone is convinced. One Reddit user, known as Thatone Man123, summed up a growing sentiment: several comparisons imply that Vice City alone could rival “the entire GTA 5 map,” a claim many players find hard to swallow.
Part of the doubt stems from memory. Fans remember how accurate map theorists were during the build-up to GTA 5. The difference this time, however, is the degree of ambition. The idea that Vice City might match or surpass the total footprint of Los Santos and Blaine County feels, to some, like a leap too far.
Could Vice City Really Be That Big?
The speculation hasn’t come from nowhere. Based on geography glimpsed in official trailers, comparisons to real-world Miami, and Rockstar’s own hints about the scale of Leonida, some fans have suggested that GTA 6’s map could be 2.4 to 2.7 times larger than GTA 5’s. That estimate includes both urban density and wide stretches of wetlands, smaller towns, and rural highways.
Such a leap in size would be unprecedented for Rockstar. While the studio has built sprawling worlds before notably the vast American frontier of Red Dead Redemption 2 those environments relied on careful pacing and major variations in terrain. The prospect of creating an enormous modern city with that same level of detail and interactivity is something that naturally raises eyebrows.
Ambition Meets Technical Reality
The size conversation isn’t just about how far players can drive. It’s about technical feasibility. GTA 6 already shows a level of visual fidelity that pushes current hardware to its limits. Ultra-dense lighting, crowd systems, AI behaviors, water physics all of these features scale exponentially with the size of the map.
Even if Rockstar manages to optimize the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, a world approaching triple the size of Los Santos would be an enormous undertaking. For some, this explains the game’s repeated delays. For others, it highlights how unrealistic fan speculation can become when official details are scarce.
The Problem with Hype and Hoaxes
The mapping community surrounding GTA 6 is passionate, talented, and unusually dedicated. But it also operates in an environment full of fabricated leaks, AI-generated “screenshots,” and long-running rumors that have no foundation in fact. As a result, even well-constructed theories can get lost in the noise.
The ambiguity has left many players conflicted. They want to believe Rockstar is creating the most ambitious open world ever seen. At the same time, they know how easily exaggerated claims can spiral. That tension between hype and realism is why the current debate around map size feels so charged.
What Past Games Tell Us
Despite the skepticism, Rockstar does have a history of turning seemingly impossible ideas into reality. The leap from GTA 4 to GTA 5 was enormous. The leap from GTA 5 to Red Dead Redemption 2 was even more dramatic, with handcrafted animations, intricate wildlife systems, and deep environmental simulation.
So while a map nearly three times the size of Los Santos may sound excessive, dismissing it outright would ignore Rockstar’s track record of technical ambition. Still, until real gameplay or an official world map is revealed, everything remains speculative.
Waiting for Answers
For now, fans can only analyze trailer footage and make educated guesses. The true scale of GTA 6 whether monumental or merely larger than expected won’t be confirmed until Rockstar releases more material. With the game currently scheduled for November 19, 2026, there’s plenty of time for expectations to evolve. And, as the community knows too well, plenty of time for another delay.
One thing is certain: size will be a defining element of how players judge GTA 6. Whether the world ends up “2.7 times bigger” or not, its density, personality, and level of immersion may matter far more in the end. Until then, the debates will continue, shaped by equal parts hope and caution.