Why fans probably won’t see GTA Vice City characters in GTA 6

As beloved as GTA Vice City might be, it's highly improbable for its characters to show up in GTA 6.

There is little news on GTA 6 as of right now, but that hasn't stopped rampant fan speculation of what could be in the game. Many GTA fans are hoping to see GTA 6 return to Vice City in some capacity, which has also led these fans to hope for a return of some fan-favorite characters.

Unfortunately for them, there are several reasons why that is simply a pipe dream for the moment. Two of the biggest reasons will be related to the year GTA 6 would be set in and how GTA 6 would be a part of the HD universe.

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Why GTA Vice City characters won't show up in GTA 6

One of the most popular fan-made renders for GTA 6 (Image via TweakTown)

There are logical arguments on both sides of this discussion. However, it's far more likely that GTA fans won't see their fan-favorite GTA Vice City characters in GTA 6 rather than vice versa for many of the reasons listed below.

Why fans want GTA Vice City characters to show up in GTA 6

GTA Vice City has quite the cast (Image via Andrei Vercetti (DeviantArt))

Passionate fans tend to love seeing games they adore be represented. GTA Vice City is no different, especially since it stands out so much from the rest of the series in a good way. GTA games tend to have cameos from past titles, so it wouldn't be unusual to suggest a character from an older title like GTA Vice City.

GTA Vice City has some legitimately entertaining characters, so seeing them in another game would be pretty swell. Likewise, these old characters could represent an older era and possibly attract some newer fans to try out a game like GTA Vice City.

Why fans won't see GTA Vice City characters in GTA 6

There are several reasons why these characters won't show up in GTA 6 (Image via nodiastories)

As alluded above, there are two main reasons why GTA fans aren't likely to see GTA Vice City characters in GTA 6. The first reason is because of the differences between the 3D universe and the HD universe, and the second reason is related to when GTA 6 could take place.

Of course, there are also some more minor reasons why the likely candidates won't show up in a game like GTA 6. All of this is based off of speculation and analysis of past GTA titles.

The HD Universe vs 3D Universe

Lazlow was the most likely character to show up, but he's gone from Rockstar for the moment (Image via Rockstar Games)

The HD Universe is a completely different entity compared to the 3D Universe. It isn't just a matter of which game has HD graphics and which doesn't. Rather, these are two completely different timelines with completely different lore.

Typically speaking, this means that they're a part of two different parallel universes. It's similar to how 2D Universe characters haven't appeared in the 3D or HD Universe.

A few 3D characters have shown up in the HD universe, including some characters who were from GTA Vice City. That said, some characters like Lazlow are unlikely to show up thanks to leaving Rockstar for personal reasons over a year ago. Also, none of these characters are the fan-favorites some GTA fans have been asking for.

The era in which GTA 6 is set in

An 80s era could work, but it's not confirmed (Image via Christian Snell)

The era GTA 6 is set in will be one of the more important factors for deciding whether or not GTA Vice City characters will show up. There are various leaks that say GTA 6 takes place in the modern era, but there are also leaks that state that GTA 6 will take place in the '70s to '80s.

If it's the former, then it's highly unlikely the GTA Vice City cast will do much, as most of them would either be dead or in their '50s to '60s. There is a 35-year difference between then and now, which would significantly hamper the mobility and action some of these characters would be able to do.

GTA Vice City characters could show up as senior citizens in GTA 6, but that wouldn't feel as great as seeing them in their prime. If GTA 6 took place in a more youthful time, then this reason wouldn't be as major of a barrier to entry as the 3D to HD transition.

On the possibility that GTA 6 has nothing to do with Vice City

A fan render of GTA 6 being in a location that clearly isn't Vice City (Image via CodFlaws)

Of course, if GTA 6 is set in a completely different location from Vice City, then it wouldn't make much sense to implement GTA Vice City characters in the game.

It wouldn't matter if GTA 6 took place in Liberty City, London, or some other location that wasn't Vice City. Anything but Vice City would likely have a completely different cast altogether.

Of course, even popular games like GTA San Andreas don't get their fan-favorite characters in the recent GTA titles, so GTA Vice City is in good company in this regard.