3 reasons why GTA 6 should have a larger map (and 2 reasons why it shouldn't)

The size of GTA 6's map has always been a prime topic of discussion in the community, which has only been accentuated by the recent leaks.

Rockstar Games' series has long been the poster child for wide open-world landscapes where players can interact with various items and NPCs, which is why their expectations from GTA 6 are high.

Furthermore, enthusiasts believe that with this upcoming title, Rockstar Games will unveil the largest map they have ever developed. This speculation has made the majority of players happy, while others have expressed displeasure with Rockstar Games' decision to expand the scale of their maps with each new game they produce.

So, to expand on the topic, this article will provide three reasons why GTA 6 should have a larger map and two reasons why it should not do that.

Note: This article reflects the writer's subjective opinion.

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3 reasons why a larger map will be good for GTA 6

1) More side activities

Rockstar Games have been pretty consistent with the amount of content they pack into their maps. Thus, having a larger area will allow them to fill GTA 6's world with even more interesting and dynamic activities for players to do.

In a smaller and contained map, creating a variety of side quests is a pretty difficult task as the environment where these tasks take place is really important. For example, in GTA 5, forest areas generally have hunting-related side missions, whereas desert areas may have off-roading racing variants.

Thus, having a large map will give Rockstar Games more leeway into creating different kinds of activities for the numerous locations present.

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2) Deeper exploration

One of the biggest selling points of Grand Theft Auto games is the existence of big virtual spaces that players can explore without any limitations. So, having this amount of freedom when it comes to exploration will be really advantageous in Grand Theft Auto 6.

As a result, if Rockstar Games decides to make the map even bigger, it will only inspire players to explore the world more, and try to discover interesting places and environments that are truly enjoyable to visit.

Many players enjoy the franchise because of the virtual areas it allows them to explore. So, if Grand Theft Auto 6 expands on this aspect of the series, it will only improve the upcoming game.

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3) Bigger cast of characters

On a huge map, players will be able to find a variety of characters inhabiting the world. This would also mean that storytelling opportunities will also be increased.

NPC interactions are an integral part of the Grand Theft Auto series' game design. Having an expansive map will enable Rockstar Games to create different kinds of NPC characters that players can encounter whenever they visit specific locations.

Random NPC interactions such as the Strangers and Freaks missions were a huge part of Grand Theft Auto 5 as well. So, having a similar feature amplified by GTA 6's large map would be fantastic to have.

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2 reasons why GTA 6 will be better off with a smaller map

1) Empty spaces

While it is easy to suggest that Rockstar Games will be able to fill every single spot in a larger map with content, putting the idea into action in reality will be quite difficult.

Players can see countless examples of games having maps that are big but contain empty spaces where nothing is interactive.

Take Grand Theft Auto 5 for instance. In this game, Sandy Shores is quite underdeveloped when compared to Los Santos City when it comes to the amount of activities players can do. So, this inconsistency can become quite a problem when they are naturally exploring the map.

So, if Grand Theft Auto 6 has a massive map, it will also contain these empty stretches of land that are just useless for players to visit.

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2) Too much traversal

Having an unnecessarily huge map means that players would have to spend the majority of their time traveling from one location to another. This aspect of having a bigger map is really wasteful, as Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be an action-adventure open-world shooter, not a travel simulator.

Furthermore, this was also one of the main criticisms that GTA 5 faced, as most story missions in it required players to simply drive around the map and reach a particular destination. This only makes the gameplay boring and monotonous.

Also, traversal should be fun and not tedious. So, having a smaller map in which the main locations for activities are close by will be a huge advantage.