GTA VI Vice City Took Nearly 5,000 People, Says The Guardian

Nearly 5,000 people and more than a decade of research. That is what it took to build GTA VI’s Vice City, according to a Guardian interview with the Rockstar team that GTA BOOM picked up on November 11, 2026.

The team figure comes from the British newspaper, not from a Rockstar announcement. That is why we are treating it as unconfirmed.

Trips to Miami since 2015

According to GTA BOOM, the first research trips to Miami took place in 2015, before any mission existed. Rob Nelson, the game’s lead developer, describes in the interview ride-alongs with police in South Beach, visits to bars in the Florida Keys, and nights in nightclubs until 4 a.m.

Nelson explains that the team tries to keep a low profile on these trips, though he admits it doesn’t always manage to.

A bigger team than previously reported

The Guardian talks about a team of nearly 5,000 people. GTA BOOM notes that during development the figure mentioned had been slightly over 4,000. Above them sits a small group of veteran leads: lead writer Rupert Humphries has worked at Rockstar since 2008.

Nelson argues that the game is so big that nobody can hold all of it in their head. The newspaper credits that level of detail to the money, time, and patience of Take-Two Interactive.

Place first, story second

According to GTA BOOM, Rockstar starts with the setting and lets the story and characters grow out of the real place. Executive Jennifer Kolbe says that same method was used for GTA IV’s New York.

As an example of that care, Nelson showed an animation of Jason Duval in his demo: he runs with a six-pack of beer under his arm, and the liquid sloshes inside the bottles.

GTA BOOM adds that The Guardian will publish a longer feature on the game’s development over the weekend of November 14 and 15.

What it means for you

Nothing changes for the November 19 launch, but it helps explain why Vice City feels so much like Miami. If you want to get your bearings before playing, check out the six confirmed locations in Leonida.