5 Classic Vice City Locations That Could Return In GTA 6

Many fans are probably  replaying "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" ahead of the upcoming release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" — and why not. "Vice City" remains one of the greatest video games of all time, and a replay is always a good idea regardless of whether waiting for a new "GTA" entry is your lure or not. If you do revisit this masterpiece of the PlayStation 1 era, you'll surely be impressed by the fact that, after more than two decades, "Vice City" holds up beautifully.

That's a testament to the game's design, which immersed us in Rockstar's version of 1980s Miami. Sure, viewed in retrospect, the environments look sparse and take on an almost liminal aura. But at the time, "Vice City" was as close as an entire generation would ever get to living out a "Miami Vice" meets "Scarface" fantasy.

For those of us who played the original upon its 2002 release, the prospect of returning to Tommy Vercetti's stomping grounds in 2026 is particularly exciting. Not only are we ready to be floored by Rockstar Games' graphical updates, there's a very real chance that many legendary "Vice City" locations will make a return in "GTA 6."

Of course, technically, this latest installment is set in a different universe than the 2002 game. Rockstar's original 2D Universe covers the games released between 1997 and 1999, while the 3D Universe — to which "Vice City" belongs — includes games from 2001 to 2006. The latest HD Universe comprises titles from 2008 to the present, and includes the upcoming "GTA 6." But while these games belong to separate timelines, there's no way Rockstar will neglect to include "Vice City" Easter eggs, and that almost certainly means we'll be seeing some of the 2002 game's most memorable locations making a return.

This one has already been all but confirmed, but it had to be on this list due to its significance to "GTA" history. Ocean Drive was the main beachfront strip in Vice City, and used the same name as its real-world South Beach, Miami equivalent. Home to many an art deco, neon-lit feat of architectural design, the strip provided the perfect place to cruise while blasting "Sunglasses At Night" and casually unloading an SMG. It was also the home of Tommy Vercetti's first safe house and save spot: the Ocean View Hotel.

We've known that particular location will return ever since 2023 when the "GTA 6" trailer leaked and broke the internet. This trailer confirmed that Tommy's OG save spot will return in "GTA 6," and gave us our first real look at the game's version of Ocean Drive, which at this point is technically still an unnamed, Ocean Drive-esque location.

It was virtually guaranteed that Rockstar Games would include the main drag in the "GTA 6" version of Vice City, seeing as this is one of the most instantly recognizable Miami locations. But with the Ocean View Hotel already confirmed to appear, we're hoping the rest of this updated Ocean Drive evokes the feeling of the Vice City version. Perhaps with a lighthouse on the southern tip.

The Malibu Club is likely one of the first locations that comes to mind when you think of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." It was a place where the "Vice City" soundtrack came to life outside of our solo car trips, as revelers gathered on the dance floor to lose themselves to "Billie Jean" or "I Ran (So Far Away)." It was also the scene of many an unnecessary massacre, due to the temptation to toss a molotov directly onto the dance floor — we all did it, and we regret nothing.

"GTA 6" isn't the first time the series has returned to Vice City. 2006's "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" took us back to the titular town, which similarly featured the Malibu as its premiere night-life destination. As such, we're hoping Rockstar has done the same for "Grand Theft Auto 6."

Code referencing The Malibu Club was found in "GTA 6" leaks from September 2022, so there's a good chance this legendary Vice City location will return. But how will the game update it for 2026 and will we still be able to buy it? In "Vice City," Tommy Vercetti could purchase the club for $120,000. Will "GTA 6" protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos be interested in owning a nightlife hub, and if so, what will it cost now?

What's more, with its Village People-style performers and classic '80s playlist, the club was emblematic of the game's retro setting. It will be slightly odd to see it transformed for the modern age. Perhaps, if the Malibu is in "GTA 6," Rockstar will have designed it as a throwback club to preserve its '80s allure. For now, we can only hope that one of the most memorable places from the original "Vice City" will make it in.

The North Point Mall wasn't integral to the "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" story, but it felt like a crucial inclusion if only because malls are so emblematic of 1980s culture. That said, there were two missions that did make use of this location. "Shakedown" required players to shoot out store windows in order to scare the owners into paying protection money, while "Cop Land" saw Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance dress as police officers to detonate a bomb in the shopping center. Neither are must-play "GTA" missions, but both were fun and gave us an excuse to unleash hell in a mall.

With "GTA 6" making major changes to how NPCs react to your crimes, and Rockstar Games developing a system that allows for much larger crowds, rampaging through a bustling mall in the new game sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. Aside from the nostalgia factor that comes with re-imagining a classic "Vice City" location for 2026, seeing the North Point Mall in "GTA 6" would surely inspire some of the most wild criminal rampages yet seen in a series that has allowed players to run rampant for almost three decades now.

What's more, players have wanted a specific feature in "GTA" for some time, namely the ability to enter buildings. With Rockstar confirming that there are hundreds of interiors in "GTA 6," the mall seems like the perfect place to show off.

Leaf Links was the country club and golf course in "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," and it seemed to sum up something fundamental about the franchise. Dressing Tommy Vercetti in comically over-the-top golf attire, stealing a golf cart, and going wild on the haughty patrons of this bastion of high society was the perfect representation of "GTA." It's a darkly comic, irreverent series that reveled in undermining the tenets of American society. Given the state of that society in 2026, it would seem like a major oversight not to include some sort of country club where genteel folks can gather only to face the wrath of gamers worldwide.

Another location that appeared in the debug menu of the 2022 "GTA 6" leaks, Leaf Links seems like a likely inclusion for the upcoming game. What's more, mini golf is confirmed to be one of the many "GTA 6" side activities, though it remains to be seen whether standard golf is also included. Given the level of detail Rockstar Games has included in "GTA 6," it would be surprising if there wasn't at least some sort of driving range where players can practice their swing. But we're hoping Leaf Links makes it into the game just so that we can once again commandeer a golf cart and wage war on the upper crust of Leonida.

There are many lingering questions about "GTA: Vice City" that "GTA 6" needs to answer, and one of the most pressing is "What happened to Tommy Vercetti?" When we last saw him, he'd dispatched Sonny Forelli and was the new Vice City kingpin, overseeing a vast criminal empire that spanned the entire city. Subsequent games have referenced the "Vice City" protagonist, but we still have no real insight into what happened to him after the conclusion of his 2002 ascendency — and again, the new game's timeline is not his.

Regardless, bringing back Tommy's famed mansion on Starfish Island would be a compelling way to reference the character's fate in this new iteration of the world. With Ray Liotta having died in 2022, Rockstar will almost certainly do the honorable thing and leave the character out of the game (nobody is going to do justice to Liotta's performance). But that doesn't mean we can't revisit his mansion.

Perhaps Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos become wealthy enough to purchase the stately home, whereafter the estate agent updates them on the previous owner's life and whereabouts. Or maybe Tommy's home has become run down and dilapidated since we last saw it, and like Area 69 from "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" or Mount Chiliad in "Grand Theft Auto 5," becomes a mysterious, spooky location we can explore by venturing off the beaten path. Whatever the case, if there's one Vice City location we want to see in "GTA 6" it's Tommy's former home.