Twelve years it’s been, twelve long years since the release of GTA V while we wait for GTA VI. It was a seismic event in the history of video gaming. Although the misunderstood GTA IV was equally as anticipated following on from the remarkable success of Vice City and San Andreas, GTA V showcased Rockstar’s ability to remain gaming pioneers in a completely fresh gaming environment, a world of microtransactions, eSports, and the vastness of online gaming.
When Grand Theft Auto: Vice City first hit shelves in 2002, it was a gaming revelation. Not only did it amaze critics and gamers alike, but it also took the franchise to a new level. Vice City, based on Miami in the 1980s, opened up a new dimension in the GTA world.
It included a much broader map than its predecessors, a more in-depth set of missions and storylines, and Tommy Vercetti, of course, voiced by the immortal Ray Liotta. So, can we expect to see any of these elements in GTA VI to take a trip down memory lane?
Navigating Modern Gaming Advances
Rockstar showcased with GTA V that they have the design capacity to continue bringing cutting-edge features into the world of console gaming. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they adapt to the way the gaming industry has changed since the release of GTA V over a decade ago.
In the modern market, playing at a casino online is part and parcel of the broader industry. Back when Vice City and San Andreas came out, the idea of mini-games and casino games was a complete novelty and added value to the game. Now, they’re a multi-billion-dollar market on their own.
GTA V adapted to online gaming, but it was a proactive update that has improved over time, rather than being integrated into the original design. GTA VI will have to incorporate it from the beginning of the game, which presents a different challenge entirely.
The Malibu Club
While the Malibu in GTA VI and Vice City will have many different distinctions, the first trailer all but confirms that we will see a new and revamped version of the iconic Vice City club. Vice City Stories, one of the more underrated games, branched out into the familiar map and setting, albeit with different characters, just four years after the legendary Vice City.
The delay Rockstar announced, which pushed back GTA VI’s release to 2026, was likely due to schedule adjustments and tweaks to the game design, rather than any issues with the roadmap they’ve laid out for the release.
We can’t even imagine the level of detail and design that is going into this game, not only is it one of the most hotly anticipated games of all time, but it coud set the bar for new games to follow suit — which is something Rockstar have done several times, not just within the GTA franchise, but with their other iconic games such as Red Dead Redemption 2.
Diaz’s Mansion
Is it Diaz’s mansion, or is it the Vercetti mansion? Perhaps once the GTA VI story unravels, we will be able to get a glimpse into Vice City lore, and those players who were too young to remember Vice City will get a glimpse of the game that laid the foundations for GTA VI.
Starfish Mansion, if we are to call it by its proper title, was an integral part of the original Vice City; it’s where all the action took place, it felt like the epicentre of the first portion of the game before they reopened the bridge and allowed Tommy to explore other parts of the game.
With the game set to smash revenue records, and some gaming experts predicting first-week sales that could exceed $3 billion, there are going to be some remarkable innovations, and it’s going to push the capabilities of the PS5 to its limits. Well, that’s if the other GTA games are anything to go by.
A Homage To Old Characters?
Some of these predictions have been as far-ranging as characters wearing AirPods, sharks in the water, undercover police cars, pet lizards, seismic weather events like flooding, and wild animals like mountain lions and raccoons.
However, the main character, Jason, does bear a resemblance to Tommy Vercetti, and other characters who have featured in the trailer, Raul Batista wears a white suit, like Lance Vance, the iconic Vice City character, and Brian Header has a shirt that has an uncanny look of Diaz’s floral shirt.
So, while we might not be seeing the literal return of these characters, or their lore, they live on through classy homages that Rockstar has become well known for over the last quarter of a century.
Waiting With Bated Breath
May 2026 feels like a lifetime away at the moment, and hopefully, this is the only delay we see with the game. Take-Two Interactive shares took a 5% hit when they announced the last delay, and although it’s not a good idea to rush games to market just to help the share price, fans will become restless.
However, all will be forgotten if the game can capture the adulation and acclaim of the original, and while it might be nostalgic for us to get a glimpse of some of the 1980s Vice City designs, we expect GTA VI to come into its own and meet the standard that so many Rockstar Games titles have set before.
Given that they have free rein and carte blanche to go down any artistic avenue, it’s going to be fascinating to see what the final product looks like and what homages they pay to the original PS2 game from all those years ago.
