GTA 6 Map Planning Began 11 Years Ago as Narrow Roads Forced Rockstar to Add More Buildings

GTA 6 map planning began in Miami in 2015, according to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, who recently interviewed Rockstar North developers.

The early work continued for more than a decade, while narrower roads created unexpected demands for artists building the surrounding city.

Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut said the streets in GTA 6 are significantly narrower than those in GTA 5. Schreier explained that the decision created additional work because the studio needed more buildings to fill the denser environment.

The revelations provide fresh insight into the game's lengthy development. They do not, however, establish that GTA 6 has been in full-scale production continuously since 2015.

Why GTA 6 Map Planning Began in 2015

Schreier detailed the early development work in a YouTube video published on Monday, 19 October. The video followed his Bloomberg investigation into the making of GTA 6, published on 14 October.

'2015 is when they started going to Miami,' Schreier said, explaining how Rockstar approached the game's earliest planning stages. The company typically establishes the map before developing other elements of its sprawling open-world games.

Miami provided the real-world inspiration for Vice City, the fictional metropolis at the centre of GTA 6. The game takes place across Leonida, a fictional American state encompassing the city and its surrounding regions.

According to Schreier, some Rockstar artists have been working on GTA 6 for more than 11 years. Their involvement dates back to 2015 or possibly earlier, although the wider development team was not continuously assigned to the project.

Much of Rockstar's workforce was subsequently redirected towards Red Dead Redemption 2, which was released in 2018. The ambitious Western required considerable development resources, leaving a smaller group of artists to continue planning GTA 6's environment.

That distinction matters when examining the game's production history. Early geographical research and map planning are not equivalent to building a complete game with the full development team.

The initial work established foundations for what would eventually become Vice City and the wider Leonida setting. Schreier's reporting does not suggest that every location, street or building was finalised during those early research trips.

GTA 6's Narrower Roads Created Unexpected Work for Rockstar

Garbut also revealed how one seemingly straightforward decision affected the construction of GTA 6's world. He told Schreier that the roads are 'significantly narrower in GTA 6 than they were in GTA 5'.

According to Schreier, Rockstar wanted narrower streets and denser traffic to create a more realistic driving environment. GTA 5 featured wider roads that allowed players considerably more space to manoeuvre through traffic.

But changing street proportions carried consequences beyond driving. Garbut explained that narrower roads required artists to create additional surrounding buildings, increasing the work involved in constructing the city.

The Rockstar executive acknowledged that these interconnected design decisions could create complications much later in development. His remarks illustrated how changing one part of an open-world environment can affect other aspects of production.

The reporting does not establish precisely how many additional buildings were needed. Nor does it confirm that the narrower roads caused any specific delay or increase in GTA 6's development budget.

Players had already noticed apparent differences between the two games before Schreier published his latest account. In a September Reddit discussion, one user argued that GTA 5's unusually wide streets made Los Santos feel less densely developed.

The poster welcomed the tighter proportions visible in GTA 6 promotional footage. Other users questioned the comparison images, highlighting the limitations of judging street dimensions before the finished game becomes available.

Rockstar released its official GTA 6 launch trailer on 15 October, offering another look at protagonists Jason and Lucia. The footage also showcased the streets and surrounding environments of Vice City.

However, promotional footage cannot establish exactly how the narrower roads will affect vehicle handling, traffic or exploration during ordinary gameplay.

According to the official Rockstar Store, GTA 6 remains scheduled for release on 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has not announced an official PC release date.