Will GTA 6‘s Map Be Bigger Than RDR2‘s?

As an avid fan who has eagerly awaited each trailer and tidbit of information on GTA 6, I‘ve wondered if it can topple the incredible technical achievement that is Red Dead Redemption 2‘s open world setting. Based on the latest leaks and projections, GTA 6‘s map should be around 50% larger than GTA 5‘s highly diverse terrain. But when it comes to sheer life-like depth and scope, my prediction is RDR2 still reigns supreme.

GTA 6‘s Map Size – Estimates and Analysis

Thanks to dedicated fans compiling every fragment leaked from Rockstar and crunching the numbers, we can piece together a projection on GTA 6‘s map size. Noted fan ChurchofGTA estimates that based on the coordinates and scaling seen from the early September footage leaks, GTA 6‘s total map size could come in at around 206.8 square kilometers.

To put that into perspective, that would make it around 50% larger than GTA 5‘s sprawling and varied terrain spanning countryside, desert, forests and the metropolis of Los Santos at over 135 square km.

What could over 200 square km include in GTA 6 then? Well if the setting revisits Vice City, as heavily rumored and hinted at in leaks, we could see expansive swampland, dense urban areas inspired by downtown Miami, large bridges to neighboring islands, and more.

RDR2‘s Seamless Game World Sets New Standards

Make no mistake though – RDR2 has raised the bar when it comes to crafting a jaw-droppingly authentic and dynamic open world to explore. The frontier truly feels alive in ways never seen before. Whether it‘s the 1,200 individually designed NPC routines, stranger encounters that could play out a dozen different ways, witnessing wolves take down elk as part of a complex ecosystem, or the insane amount of historical detail crammed into homes and settlements…RDR2 sets new standards.

Despite having an estimated map size of "only" 29 square miles compared to GTA 5‘s 49 based on calculations, when playing RDR2 it feels exponentially bigger due to the richness and attention to detail Rockstar‘s world builders and 3,000 strong production team achieved.

From lush valleys to snowy peaks you feel fully immersed venturing through the twists and turns of the American wilderness circa 1899. I‘ve spent hundreds of delighted hours tracking deadly cougars, taming wild horses and finding comfort by the campfire under starry skies – it just doesn‘t get old.

The Power of Dense, Vertical City Design

Some may see the map size comparisons and conclude GTA 6 is a step down then from what RDR2 achieved. But to do so is to misunderstand Rockstar‘s design priorities for the acclaimed series.

Reports from several well-connected industry insiders suggest that with GTA 6, Rockstar is aiming to exponentially increase interactive interiors compared to any past titles. We could see Vice City‘s dazzling array of hotels, nightclubs, downtown high rises and more become explorable urban playgrounds.

Combined with enhanced interior verticality allowing floor-by-floor traversal ala Spiderman and highly destructible environments using next-gen processing power, GTA 6 has all the makings of revolutionizing our open world experience despite a smaller scale map.

The ability to actually enter the majority of structures you see versus them just being facades to look at should breathe new life into the series. RDR2 may still have a more believable and immersive rural world, but for action-packed, ever-changing urban chaos redefined – look to GTA 6.

Two Titles That Push Boundaries

As a huge fan of Rockstar Games and what they‘ve achieved this past decade, I firmly believe both RDR2 and the upcoming GTA 6 release will be technical masterpieces that usher the open world genre to new levels. Both games excel in their distinctive priorities – RDR2 having the most seamlessly alive world realized to get lost in, and GTA 6 set to redefine urban vertical density with the interactivity and destruction physics previously unseen in gaming.

And having pored through the leaks and analysis around map sizes, I don‘t think GTA 6 exceeding RDR2‘s area is the key benchmark. With smart condensed city design we could see gameplay density unlike anything prior in the heralded franchise.

2023/2024 can‘t come soon enough for gaming fans eagerly awaiting the next mindblowing, taboo-breaking,sure to be controversial entry Rockstar has cooking with GTA 6. If early glimpses are any indication, it should push hardware to the very limits while setting new standards for player freedom and choices translating to experience.