Key Notes
- Rockstar’s research trips included strip clubs, nightclubs, beaches and night drives with former police officers, alongside visits to the Everglades and the Keys.
- Narrative chief Rupert Humphries describes Leonida as a fictional setting shaped by Florida’s contrasting communities, rather than a recreation of every location.
Rockstar Games’ research for GTA VI included visits to Florida strip clubs and nightclubs, beach trips, and night drives with former police officers. Rupert Humphries, the studio’s senior vice president of narrative, described the fieldwork in Game Informer’s cover story, with his comments reproduced by GamesRadar.
“We go and try to experience everything,” Humphries said. The trips extended beyond nightlife to the Everglades, the Keys, and other locations, building a reference base over multiple visits across the years. The account describes firsthand research into the region inspiring Leonida, rather than a single trip organized exclusively around its clubs or tourist attractions.
Humphries also emphasized the contrasts behind the game’s setting: wealthy and poorer communities living alongside one another, connected through stories involving crime and corruption. He said Rockstar wants players to explore a range of places and cultures without promising to represent every location. That frames the research as a foundation for a fictional world, rather than a comprehensive recreation of Florida.
Rockstar’s own character profiles already connect Vice City’s nightlife with its wider economy. Boobie Ike’s businesses include property, a strip club, and a recording studio, while Dre’Quan Priest is working toward a music career. These details place the clubs within a network of businesses and character relationships, connecting Vice City’s entertainment scene with the people who make their living there.
GTA VI is scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We previously covered Rockstar’s preorder announcement. The game follows Jason and Lucia into a criminal conspiracy stretching across Leonida, placing their partnership within the wider state whose communities and landscapes the developers researched.
