GTA 6 Map: Are bigger maps the way to go for Rockstar?

There are a lot of things that attract players to the open-world genre and the GTA games, and possibly the biggest attraction is the map itself. Maps have become increasingly large over the years in such games. The last installment in the GTA franchise had a pretty decently large map as well.

However, the gaming community has long been debating whether large maps are the most significant factor in what makes an open-world game great. The upcoming game, Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red, instead of creating a sprawling and massive open-world, chose to create a smaller, dense map, with much more detail and content.

With GTA VI likely to be the next project for Rockstar, the gaming community seems to be debating whether a large map is really what the game would benefit from.

Are bigger maps the way to go for GTA VI?

GTA VI Concept Maps by fans (image credits: mrbossftw, youtube)

A large map obviously is not one of the biggest selling points of the GTA franchise, which has delivered some of the most comprehensive experiences. However, is it just the size of the map that is appealing to the players?

A bigger map primarily sells the idea that the game has more content, and players would be spending hours exploring it. However, in some cases, a bigger map does not necessarily mean more content.

As has often been the case, some games have had huge open-worlds, but with not much for the player to do in it.

The GTA franchise excels by providing players an authentic open-world experience that feels lived-in and replete with tiny details. Going bigger in terms of map size does not necessarily mean a better game.

If Rockstar can manage to create a vast open-world and fill it with meaningful content like the Witcher 3, then GTA VI would benefit from it. Therefore, a map the size of GTA V would do just fine, given that Rockstar manages to fill it with quality content.