GTA 6 Vice City vs. Los Santos: New Video Shows Just How Big It Really Is
If you've been staring at leaked GTA 6 map reconstructions trying to figure out how big Vice City actually is, you're not alone — and honestly, a flat map doesn't tell you much without something to measure it against. A Reddit user just fixed that problem with a video that overlays Los Santos from GTA 5 directly onto a fan-reconstructed map of Vice City, and the size gap it shows is bigger than most people expected.
Table of Contents
- What the New Vice City vs. Los Santos Video Actually Shows
- Why an Overlay Comparison Works Better Than Side-by-Side Maps
- The Catch: This Isn't an Official Rockstar Map
- How Fans Reacted — and Where They Pushed Back
- How This Lines Up With Rockstar's Own Vice City Comments
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
What the New Vice City vs. Los Santos Video Actually Shows
The video comes from Reddit user u/Haykguy, posted in the r/GTA6 community. Instead of the usual side-by-side map comparison that fans have been posting for years, this one takes the outline of Los Santos from GTA 5 and drops it directly on top of a reconstructed Vice City map, scaled to match. The result is a much clearer read on GTA 6 map size than staring at two separate images and trying to eyeball the difference.
Made a video that ACTUALLY shows the size of Vice City
by u/Haykguy in GTA6
Once the overlay is in place, Los Santos looks noticeably small tucked inside the outline of Vice City — enough that even fans who've followed every leak for years called it a surprising visual. Worth noting: this comparison is limited to the two cities themselves. It doesn't account for the rest of Leonida, GTA 6's full game world, which stretches well beyond Vice City into surrounding counties, smaller towns, and wilderness.
Why an Overlay Comparison Works Better Than Side-by-Side Maps
Static side-by-side maps are the go-to format for these comparisons, but they're deceptively hard to read — different map projections, framing, and zoom levels can all distort perceived scale. An overlay removes that guesswork by forcing both maps onto the same coordinate space, which is exactly why this video has resonated more than earlier attempts at showing Vice City size relative to Los Santos.
The Catch: This Isn't an Official Rockstar Map
Here's the important caveat: the Vice City outline used in the video isn't pulled from anything Rockstar Games has released. It's based on the Community Mapping Project, a fan-driven effort to piece together Leonida's geography from trailers, screenshots, and leaks. That means the comparison is an educated estimate, not a confirmed measurement — the real proportions could shift once Rockstar releases an official map closer to launch.
How Fans Reacted — and Where They Pushed Back
The response in the thread was largely positive, with the top comment praising the animation quality. But not everyone was fully convinced by the numbers. One user, u/kheeno_, pointed out that the video's outline of Los Santos leaves out sizable chunks of the original city — areas like Vinewood Hills and El Burro Heights — which would shrink the apparent size gap if included.
Haykguy responded that the omission was intentional, focusing on the clearly built-up urban core rather than the full city limits, and argued Vice City would still come out ahead in size even with those areas factored back in. It's a fair pushback-and-reply exchange that's worth keeping in mind before treating the video as a precise measurement.
How This Lines Up With Rockstar's Own Vice City Comments
This fan video is separate from — but consistent with — comments Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson has made in creator interviews, where he described Vice City as roughly twice the size of Los Santos, with the built-up suburban area around it running about 11 times larger than the equivalent zone in GTA 5. Those figures came from Rockstar itself, while this new video is an independent fan attempt to visualize a similar gap using unofficial map data. Both point in the same direction, even if the exact numbers aren't identical.
FAQ
Is the Vice City map in this video official?
No. It's based on the fan-run Community Mapping Project, not anything released by Rockstar Games.
Who made the comparison video?
Reddit user u/Haykguy posted it in the r/GTA6 subreddit.
Does the video include all of Leonida?
No, it only compares Vice City to Los Santos — not the full GTA 6 map, which extends across the rest of the fictional state.
How much bigger is Vice City supposed to be than Los Santos?
Rockstar's Rob Nelson has said in interviews that Vice City is roughly twice the size of Los Santos, with the surrounding built-up area around 11 times larger than GTA 5's equivalent suburbs. This fan video wasn't built from those same figures but shows a comparable size gap.
Why did some fans disagree with the video's comparison?
A commenter noted the video's Los Santos outline is missing areas like Vinewood Hills and El Burro Heights, which could make the real size difference smaller than shown.
When is GTA 6 releasing?
Rockstar has GTA 6 scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Final Thoughts
Fan-made comparisons like this one aren't a substitute for an official Rockstar map, but they're one of the better tools the community has right now for visualizing just how much bigger GTA 6's Vice City is shaping up to be. Between this overlay video and Rockstar's own size comments from recent interviews, the picture is becoming pretty consistent: Los Santos is going to feel small once Vice City actually launches on November 19, 2026.