Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came out on October 27, 2002, and was set in 1986. GTA 6 returns to a city of the same name more than twenty years later, but it is not a sequel or a remake: it is a present-day Vice City rebuilt from scratch inside Leonida, in the HD Universe. Confirmed Confirmed
Side by side
| Vice City (2002) | GTA 6 (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Year in game | 1986 | Present day |
| Scope | One city is the whole game | One city inside a whole state (Leonida) |
| Lead | Tommy Vercetti, one silent-to-loud protagonist | Two switchable leads, Jason and Lucia |
| Universe | The 3D Universe | The HD Universe, with GTA IV and V |
| Wanted meter | Six stars | Six stars (Wanted level) |
| Music | Licensed 1980s hits on nine stations | New radio, including a returning Flash FM |
What the 2002 game invented
Built on GTA III's engine in about a year, Vice City gave the series its first true leading man, the property-empire loop (boatyard, film studio, taxi firm, ice-cream factory), motorcycles, helicopters and a licensed soundtrack that made the era a co-star. San Andreas, GTA V's businesses and GTA Online all run on versions of that empire idea.
What GTA 6 keeps
The name, the Miami inspiration, the art-deco beachfront and the neon. Flash FM is back on the dial. Confirmed It does not keep the 1986 setting, the 2002 map or its characters, so nothing from the old game needs to be known to follow the new one. See Vice City districts for the new layout.
Rumours of a link
Fans have long searched for easter eggs tying the two cities together. None has been confirmed by Rockstar. Speculation
Official screenshots
Questions
When did GTA: Vice City come out?
October 27, 2002, on PlayStation 2, set in 1986.
Is GTA 6 a sequel to Vice City?
No. GTA 6's Vice City is a present-day city in the HD Universe, rebuilt from scratch. The 2002 game's layout, timeline and characters do not carry over.
Is GTA 6 a Vice City remake?
No. It is a new game in a new state that shares the city's name.
Sources and further reading
- Vice City (2002): the neon city GTA 6 goes back to (SixStarsWanted)
- The Classics (SixStarsWanted)
- Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto VI
Last updated 2026-10-18.
