Former Rockstar Dev Says GTA 6 Should Focus on Small and Dense World

Expert Verified By

Should GTA 6 Focus On Density Over Size?

The development of GTA 6 is moving full speed ahead, and Rockstar Games is finally expected to deliver the next game in the series by 2025, over ten years after the last Grand Theft Auto title.

Continuing the tradition, GTA 6 is expected to be Rockstar Games’ biggest and most ambitious game. Ahead of this release, however, a former developer of the studio believes going bigger may not be the best approach for the game.

Why it matters: The gaming industry aims for bigger worlds, longer games, and more content with each new release. With Rockstar Games having pioneered the open-world genre after GTA 3, the developer is likely to follow suit.

GTA 6 Rockstar Games

PCGamesN recently spoke to Tony Gowland, a former Rockstar Games developer who has worked on games like GTA Liberty City Stories and Red Dead Redemption.

When asked about his wishes for GTA 6, the developer referred to the size of the open-world map and said:

“A smaller but more densely packed location would bring back some of that navigation that I loved.”

He used Vice City as an example, stating that it was the perfect size for an open-world city. However, modern games have pushed for much bigger worlds, making such a world appear small by today’s standards.

The developer believes this size meant that players could learn the routes and landmarks of the city without much trouble, which may not be as easy to do today given the vast open worlds seen in games today.

Recently, games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage have taken this approach, offering a smaller map packed with more detail. A compact map would likely benefit GTA 6 even more since the studio has proven to be proficient in crafting exceptional worlds.

On the subject of Vice City, GTA 6 is expected to return to this location after last year’s leaks practically confirmed this detail about the game. Rockstar Games will likely deliver a different take on the city this time, though locations like Malibu Club were found in the leaks.

GTA 6

We agree with the developer’s statement since many modern open worlds feel too big and bloated. A more condensed world, while small, would present more opportunities for engaging activities, more detailed environments, and more.

At the same time, however, the prospect of another massive open world from Rockstar Games also sounds exciting. Therefore, we would be open to either approach since the developer has seldom let us down with the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Nonetheless, GTA 6 is still quite far from its release date.

Many fans were recently hoping for a reveal in October, theorizing and speculating about 26 October as a potential date. Evidently, this did not come to fruition, but the game is still on track for Fiscal Year 2025 if Take-Two’s hints are anything to go by.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Crimson Desert’s World Will Be Twice As Big As Skyrim And RDR 2’s Map

Pearl Abyss revealed that Crimson Desert's open world will be twice as big as Skyrim's and will be even bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2. 

Epic Games Store Users Increased By 173% In The Last 6 Years, But Revenue Only Grew By 1.6%

The Epic Games Store has seen a 173% growth in its user base since 2019, but third-party revenue has only increased by 1.6%.

Stutters Are The Primary Problem For PC Gaming Today, Says Intel Exec

An Intel executive has outlined that stuttering in PC games is the primary reason behind immersion breaking experiences.

GTA 6 Reportedly Still Unfinished, Rockstar May Delay It Once Again

Insider Jason Schreier stated that he wouldn't be surprised if GTA 6 gets delayed again, as the game is still unfinished.

BIOSTAR Showcases Low-Power Edge AI Systems at CES 2026 With MemryX Partnership

BIOSTAR showcases the EdgeComp MU-N150 with MemryX MX3 M.2 AI accelerator at CES 2026, delivering compact, low-power edge AI solutions.