From Vice City to Leonida: inside Rockstar’s ongoing love affair with America

It’s easy to spot that every Grand Theft Auto game feels unapologetically American, with the cars, the cops, and the chaos. But why does Rockstar keep going back? Why not Tokyo, London, or Dubai? The answer lies in what America represents to the studio, a living, breathing parody of power, greed, and dreams gone sideways. For Rockstar, it’s not just a backdrop. It’s the story itself.

A look back at Rockstar’s American roots

Before GTA 6’s sun-soaked skylines and sprawling highways, there was GTA in 1997, a top-down crime spree that let players hop between fictional U.S. cities inspired by New York, Miami, and California. By 2001, GTA III transformed that formula into something revolutionary, capturing the mayhem and ambition that defined early 2000s America. Since then, every entry has sharpened Rockstar’s social lens, turning headlines into gameplay and excess into entertainment.

Dan Houser, the company’s co-founder, once said American cities keep calling the studio back because they practically write their own satire. Where else can you find billionaires brushing shoulders with street hustlers while reality stars livestream their crimes? That tension, the gap between glamour and grit, is the fuel that keeps GTA’s world spinning.

And now, with GTA 6, Rockstar is doubling down on that same formula but on a scale the series has never seen before.

A bigger, bolder world to explore

The GTA 6 map spans a reimagined Vice City and the surrounding state of Leonida, an open world that feels alive in new ways. Early reports suggest it is nearly twice the size of GTA V’s map, with multiple GTA 6 locations including small coastal towns, sprawling suburbs, and winding highways that stitch them together. Leaks hint at evolving environments where construction zones turn into high-rises and familiar areas change as time passes. It’s Rockstar’s push toward a living, breathing ecosystem instead of a static sandbox.

At this point, Rockstar and America are inseparable. The satire works because the source material never stops updating itself. GTA 6 now has an official release date of November 19, 2026, following delays so the game can meet the ambitious quality players expect.