What era should GTA 6 be set in? Everything we know

Paul Cotton

There are a lot of questions surrounding the release of GTA 6. One of those questions is what time period will Grand Theft Auto 6 be set in?

Rockstar still silent

Rockstar has yet to confirm anything GTA 6 related or even confirm its existence. While it seems absolutely certain that a new Grand Theft Auto game is only a matter of time away, after all, GTA is essentially a money printing machine – we are still awaiting some form of confirmation.

Where will it be set, the release date and what new features it will offer are just some of the GTA 6 questions that remain unanswered. With that said though, let’s focus on what time period we can expect GTA 6 to be set in.

Could GTA 6 look like this?

GTA 6 time period

1980s

We can almost guess the time period based on where Grand Theft Auto 6 will be set. The problem with that is, we don’t know where it will be set either.

One of the stronger rumors for a GTA 6 location is Vice City, Miami. Long time fans will know this map is home to one of the most popular GTA games in franchise history: GTA Vice City.

Interestingly, GTA IV’s map was a remake of Liberty City from GTA 3. This has led some to believe that GTA Vice City is the next game’s map to get a remake.

Should Rockstar opt to go with Miami, and keep the 1980s theme, this would be a bold decision. The hype surrounding GTA 6, especially as we get closer, is going to be as big as anything we’ve seen in the video game industry before.

As a result, going with anything but a modern day setting seemingly presents risks.

GTA Vice City is arguably the most popular of the entire series…

Current day

Consequently, Rockstar may go with a cautious approach for its big introduction to the next generation of consoles. This allows them to utilize today’s technology such as the internet and mobile phones, while also being able to use today’s super cars.

One option that hasn’t been discussed, is the possibility of Vice City reappearing but set now. The alternatives for the current day would have to be a unique setting as it’s unlikely Liberty City will be made again. Furthermore, it wouldn’t make sense to do another California based game a la Los Santos.

The future

Setting games in the future is risky business, just ask Call of Duty. Games such as Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare received plenty of backlash from fans who prefer games to stick to their classic and simple roots.

This alone probably means a future setting for GTA 6 is unlikely. Even so, it can’t be ruled out completely.

Liberty City has already been remade in GTA IV…

What era is most likely?

A current day Grand Theft Auto 6 game is most likely purely from a risk perspective. The aforementioned modern day Vice City would tick a lot of boxes.

If Rockstar does decide, or already has, to go back to the 1980s then Vice City would be the overwhelmingly likely scenario.

Elsewhere, there have also been rumors of GTA 6 actually incorporating the entirety of the United States. How this would affect the time period of the game is anyone’s guess.


Rumors and speculation will continue until Rockstar announce something official about GTA 6. A PS5 announcement is expected this year but don’t hold your breath on the next Grand Theft Auto game.