Summary
- Rockstar Games is known for surprising players with unexpected locations in their games.
- Grand Theft Auto 6 is rumored to have hidden locations not featured in trailers, potentially including Liberty City.
- The challenge for Rockstar is to maintain surprise and impact with hidden locations despite fans anticipating them.
Rockstar Games is no stranger to holding its cards close. The developer behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption has built a legacy on massive open worlds, intricate storytelling, and twists that fans often never see coming. But with Grand Theft Auto 6 now officially set to launch in May 2026, longtime players are starting to notice a familiar pattern. This pattern is one that could end up spoiling Grand Theft Auto 6's biggest reveal before players ever set foot in modern-day Leonida.
While the confirmed setting of Grand Theft Auto 6 is a sprawling reimagining of Vice City, its caricaturistic personas, and the surrounding state of Leonida, many believe the game will eventually lead players somewhere else entirely. This “somewhere else” has not been advertised in official collateral, websites, or trailers, but could be a place players are somewhat familiar with. And if Rockstar’s recent games are anything to go by, they might be right.
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Rockstar Has A History of Surprise Maps And Locations
In both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar implemented secret or unexpected locations that players could explore, often completely separate from the main map. In GTA 5, players were surprised by North Yankton, a frozen midwestern town that served as a direct dichotomy to sunny Los Santos. Likewise, Red Dead Redemption 2 famously included the entire map of the original Red Dead Redemption, allowing players to cross the border into New Austin late in the game, an enormous surprise given that the map was never advertised as being part of the sequel. And because Red Dead Redemption 2 wasn’t quite content with an old location being the surprise, it also hit players with the tropical Guarma.
These locations weren’t just technical achievements based on the sheer size of GTA 5 or RDR 2, but rather narrative curveballs that kept the player attentive during gameplay. Rockstar cleverly used geography to surprise players, reward exploration, and give a sense of a larger world outside the setting’s immediate surroundings. It’s a tactic that pays off in immersion, and one that may very well make a return in GTA 6.
Grand Theft Auto’s Trailers Are Holding Key Locations Close
Despite the sprawling energy of Grand Theft Auto 6’s trailers so far, some of the game’s most pivotal locations, Ambrosia, Port Gellhorn, and Mount Kalaga, haven’t received any gratuitous screen time. The official site for GTA 6 describes these areas as central to the unfolding conflict within the fictional state of Leonida, suggesting they will play a major role in the story. Yet neither the first trailer, which focused heavily on Vice City, nor the more recent second trailer chose to spotlight them excessively. This omission feels intentional: an effort by Rockstar to hold back narrative and geographical surprises until players experience them firsthand. Whether it's a matter of preserving spoilers or ramping up speculation, the deliberate absence of these areas leaves fans wondering what else the developer is keeping in its back pocket.
Could Liberty City Be GTA 6’s Big Reveal?
The iconic setting of multiple past GTA games, Liberty City, has been noticeably absent from marketing and trailers, but fans suspect that’s by design. Much like North Yankton, Liberty City could be reserved for a launch-date reveal, a massive DLC drop, or even an unannounced post-launch expansion. Additionally, Lucia, a GTA 6 protagonist, has ties to Liberty City.
There are compelling reasons to think this is more than just fan theory. GTA 6’s narrative appears to center on crime, wealth, and rising through the ranks—classic themes that would be right at home in Liberty City’s gritty, urban environment. Including it as a secret or unlockable location would add a layer of ambition that aligns with Rockstar’s track record for over-delivering.
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The Risk of History Repeating Too Obviously
The catch to exciting reveals of secret locations is that Rockstar’s pattern is now becoming obvious. What once felt like a jaw-dropping surprise could now come off as predictable. If players go into GTA 6 already expecting Liberty City or another iconic GTA locale to appear, the moment may lose its impact. And given the long lead-up to the game’s release, every trailer, leak, or hint runs the risk of tipping Rockstar’s hand too early. This creates a strange tension for Rockstar, a challenge to outdo past twists without making fans feel like the punchline is too obvious.
The potential inclusion of Liberty City or any other hidden map can still hit hard, but it must be handled differently this time. Whether it’s through unexpected framing, a completely new map shrouded in mystery, or a real-life city equivalent fans have been dying to see in GTA, Rockstar will need to innovate on its own formula to keep the shock factor intact. What worked in RDR2 and GTA 5 may not work again if fans are already anticipating it. The studio’s best bet might be to lean into misdirection or subvert expectations entirely, using familiarity as bait while delivering something truly new.
What This Means for Fans Waiting For GTA 6
For players, this means keeping expectations high, but also flexible. GTA 6 will almost certainly feature surprises, secrets, and twists, but their impact may depend on how much the community manages to avoid piecing together too much ahead of time. Still, that won’t stop the speculation, and in some ways, that’s part of the fun. Whether Liberty City returns, Vice City remains the definitive focal point, or another uncharted territory lies ahead, GTA 6 is shaping up to be more than just a new map; it’s the next move in Rockstar’s ever-evolving game of narrative misdirection.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
