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What is Leonida? GTA 6's state, explained

Leonida is the state where Grand Theft Auto VI takes place. Vice City is in it, but it is only one part. This guide explains what Rockstar has said about Leonida, using only Rockstar's own pages. If something isn't confirmed, we say so.

305 HQ is a fan-made toolkit. It is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive, and it does not sell the game.

Quick answer

  • Leonida is the state where Grand Theft Auto VI is set.
  • Vice City is in Leonida. Rockstar calls the state "home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond."
  • Rockstar has named six places there: Vice City, Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.
  • Rockstar has not published a map. The size and layout of Leonida are not confirmed.

Watch Trailer 2

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2, from Rockstar's own YouTube channel. For a scene-by-scene look, see our Trailer 2 breakdown.

What Leonida is

Leonida is a US state made up for the game. It is where the whole story of GTA VI takes place.

Rockstar's Trailer 2 post sums up the plot. Jason and Lucia's easy score goes wrong, and they end up in a criminal conspiracy that stretches across the state of Leonida. So the story is not set in one city. It covers the state.

Rockstar describes the setting as "the sunniest place in America" and calls Leonida "the sunshine state". That is as far as Rockstar goes. It hasn't said Leonida is a stand-in for any real state, so we don't say that either.

How Leonida relates to Vice City

Vice City is a city inside Leonida. It is not the name of the whole map.

Rockstar's Only in Leonida page opens with the line "Home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond." Vice City comes first, but the "beyond" matters. Five of the six places Rockstar has named are outside the city.

Rockstar's Trailer 2 post opens with just "Vice City, USA." and ends with "Explore Vice City and beyond." Both point the same way. The city is the headline, and the state is the wider setting.

Rockstar's Vice City text also names spots inside the city: Ocean Beach, Little Cuba, the Tisha-Wocka flea market and the VC Port. Rockstar has not said where they sit or how big they are.

The six places Rockstar has named

These are the six destinations on Only in Leonida, in the order Rockstar lists them. The short summaries below are ours. For Rockstar's full descriptions, word for word, see the GTA 6 confirmed locations guide.

Vice City

Rockstar calls it "the sun and fun capital of America". Its text mentions art deco hotels, Ocean Beach, Little Cuba, a flea market and a cruise port.

Leonida Keys

A tropical archipelago. Rockstar says life there isn't flashy but it's easy, and that it sits next to beautiful and dangerous waters.

Grassrivers

Wild wetland. Rockstar mentions gators, mangroves and "far deadlier predators" below the surface.

Port Gellhorn

A run-down old holiday spot, with cheap motels, closed attractions and empty strip malls. Rockstar says there is "a new economy" there now, and it isn't a legal one.

Ambrosia

Rockstar places it "in the heart of Leonida". It is an industrial town where the Allied Crystal sugar refinery provides the jobs and a local biker gang runs most of the rest.

Mount Kalaga National Park

A national park up against the state's northern border, with hunting, fishing and off-road trails. It is the only place Rockstar gives a direction for.

Leonida in the character profiles

The character profiles on the same page tie people to places. These links are all in Rockstar's own text:

  • Jason ended up "in the Keys", working for local drug runners.
  • Lucia spent time in the Leonida Penitentiary. Her mum dreamed of a good life "since their days in Liberty City".
  • Brian Heder is a drug runner from the golden age of smuggling in the Keys, and still runs a boat yard.
  • Boobie Ike is "a local Vice City legend".
  • Dre'Quan Priest has his sights set on the Vice City music scene.

Rockstar has not said where the Leonida Penitentiary is. It also hasn't said whether Liberty City appears in this game. It is only mentioned as part of Lucia's past.

What we map at 305 HQ

We keep Rockstar's names and our own map apart. Our map is a fan project. It is not official Rockstar geography.

When Rockstar shares more, we will update the confirmed list first. Fan labels stay marked as fan labels.

When you can visit

The Only in Leonida page ends with "Coming November 19 2026". For the release date, times and pre-load details, see the GTA 6 release date guide.

Not confirmed yet

  • A map of Leonida, its size, and how the six places connect.
  • Any place names beyond the ones on Only in Leonida.
  • Where the Leonida Penitentiary is.
  • Whether Leonida is based on a real state. Rockstar hasn't said.
  • Anything from leaks, datamined files or fan theories. This page does not repeat them.

What is Leonida in GTA 6?

Leonida is the fictional US state where GTA VI is set. Rockstar says Jason and Lucia's story stretches across the whole state.

Is Vice City in Leonida?

Yes. Vice City is one of six places Rockstar has named in Leonida. The other five are Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia and Mount Kalaga National Park.

Is Leonida based on Florida?

Rockstar hasn't said. It calls Leonida "the sunshine state" and the setting "the sunniest place in America", but it has not named a real state. So this is not confirmed.

Sources

Last verified: 20 October 2026