If you knowopen-world games, you knowGrand Theft Auto. This genre pioneer is one of the biggest names in the video game industry: there’s no hype like GTA hype. Though the last decade has seen the series shift increasingly to an online multiplayer focus, for the most part it’s been a single-player experience.

Part of what makes GTA so fun to play is its biting social commentary. The series will gladly take on any comers, satirizing everything from brands to locales. Even the locations in the games are clearly based on real-life cities, towns and landmarks: here are the cities that put GTA on the map, by having their fictionalized versions in its map.

A gameplay screenshot of Grand Theft Auto 5, showing Michael involved in a shootout in North Yankton.

Real-Life Counterpart: North Dakota

Appearances:

North Yankton briefly appears inGrand Theft Auto 5’s campaign, with its rural town of Ludendorff serving assupporting character Brad’s final resting place. The area hosts a climactic confrontation between Michael and Trevor, before their emotional moment is interrupted by Triad gangsters.

The town of Ludendorff is based on Fargo, North Dakota. If you’re eagle-eyed, you can spot a cinema that seems to be a recreation of the Fargo Theatre.

A gameplay screenshot of Grand Theft Auto 4, showing Niko riding a motorcycle in Alderney City.

Real-Life Counterpart: New Jersey

Liberty City underwent an overhaul in GTA 4, but Rockstar didn’t stop there. An entirely new island was added, neighbouring Liberty City and being an obvious parallel to New Jersey. The location carries elements of both Newark and New Jersey, and plays host to a handful of missions.

In contrast to Liberty City’s high-rise buildings, Alderney City is shown to be more suburban. Judging from the automobiles there, it’s also a good deal more affluent.

A screenshot from GTA Online, showing a helicopter headed towards Cayo Perico.

Real-Life Counterpart: Norman’s Cay

GTA 5 was intended to be a largely single-player experience with a multiplayer component tacked on, but Rockstar quickly switched gears once GTA Onlineproved to be popular. Though its focus is on multiplayer heists, GTA Online also receives occasional updates that expand on the world of Los Santos.

One of the biggest expansions was the addition of Cayo Perico. This private island off the coast of Colombia is based on the real-life Norman’s Cay. The seedy in-game locale is at the centre of a drug-smuggling operation.

A gameplay screenshot showing CJ riding a motorcycle in Las Venturas in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Real-Life Counterpart: Las Vegas, Nevada

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the biggest game in the original 3D series, featuring three gigantic cities. The one based on Las Vegas shares a similar name: Las Venturas, which is home to a thriving casino industry.

The city served as the centrepiece of a crossover with other GTA games, as Salvatore Leone from Liberty City comes to take refuge. Though it was detailed and fun to explore in GTA: San Andreas, Las Venturas has yet to appear in a modern entry.

A gameplay screenshot of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, showing the island of San Fierro.

Real-Life Counterpart: San Francisco, California

Another one of San Andreas' iconic locales is in San Fierro. Though it has the smallest landmass in the game, San Fierro is fun to explore because of its extensive coastline. The city is dominated by Triad gangsters, so theprotagonist CJhas to rub shoulders with their leader Wu Zi Mu quite often.

Thanks to the friendship between the developers of the two, San Fierro is considered to have some of the best story segments in the game. Though the city is mentioned frequently in GTA 5, it hasn’t yet been recreated.

A gameplay screenshot of Grand Theft Auto 5, showing a helicopter idling in front of the Vinewood sign in Los Santos.

Los Angeles, California

Los Santos featured prominently in San Andreas, but it was fully realized as the singular location where the majority of GTA 5’s story takes place. The city is a thriving metropolis, with sports cars being easily available and all sorts of zany characters to interact with.

With its prominent Vinewood sign and other landmarks, Los Santos is a clear parody of Los Angeles, California. It’s as fun to explore as any real city. Rockstar must have known that fans wouldn’t want to leave this location, so GTA Online continues to update it and add new content.

A bird’s-eye view of Vice City in the GTA 6 trailer.

Real-Life Counterpart: Miami, Florida

Vice City is one of GTA’s most iconic locales. This reimagined take on 1980s-era Miami captured the attention of fans worldwide. While GTA 3 was a certified hit, GTA Vice City was a game you could expect everyone to know, even if they didn’t play video game. The game’s central city, with its sun-soaked beaches, is unforgettable.

When Grand Theft Auto 6’s reveal trailer came out and promptly broke the internet, fans were delighted to see that Vice City was being brought back. Reimagined for the HD era, Vice City is now all but immortalized in video game history.

Claude walking away from a car in Grand Theft Auto 3.

Real-Life Counterpart: New York City, New York

Liberty City was the start of avideo game revolution. Though the location had appeared before in the original GTA game, it’s the third entry in the series that rendered the Liberty City we know and love today. Based on New York City, GTA 3’s staff actually had to alter the designs a bit shortly before release in order to lessen the resemblance.

By the time GTA 4 came out, Rockstar had a virtually unlimited budget, and the decision was made to redesign Liberty City from the ground up. In all its renditions, the city is a bit gloomy, but teeming with life and crime.