GTA 6 was once planned to span North and South America
Rockstar says GTA 6 began life as Project Americas, before the sprawling plan was scaled back to Miami and its surrounding areas.
Project Americas
Rockstar Games has revealed that Grand Theft Auto VI was once known internally as Project Americas, with an ambition to cover large areas of both North and South America before the plan was scaled back to Miami and its surrounding areas. 1
The detail comes from a wide-ranging Bloomberg interview reported by Eurogamer, covering the game's long development, delays, leaks and Rockstar's efforts to reduce the extreme crunch associated with Red Dead Redemption 2. 13
Why the scope changed
According to the interview, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson took staff to Miami in 2015 for the game's first research trip. The original concept was developed alongside Red Dead Redemption 2, but that western grew in scope and pushed Project Americas back several years. 1
By 2019, the team had the basic shape of Jason and Lucia's story, while the finer details and systems took longer to settle. The Covid-19 pandemic then added another major challenge for a studio trying to keep a large team working together. 1
Rockstar has since focused Grand Theft Auto VI on Vice City and the wider state of Leonida. Its official site lists the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a 19 November 2026 release date. 2
A more measured Rockstar?
The same interview addresses Rockstar's working culture. Publishing chief Jennifer Kolbe said the company recognised its previous approach had to change, while acknowledging that the transition has not been perfect. 1
That matters because Project Americas is not just a curious abandoned map idea. It helps explain why Grand Theft Auto VI has taken so long, and why Rockstar ultimately chose a tighter setting it could finish properly rather than chase an even larger promise.
Our opinion
The most interesting part of this revelation is not the cut content; it is the trade-off behind it. A continent-spanning GTA would sound spectacular, but a focused Leonida gives Rockstar a better chance to make the world feel dense, reactive and worth exploring. After the game's delays, choosing depth over sheer map size is probably the right call.
For now, the official release target remains 19 November 2026. 2