Miami is a city in the State of Florida mentioned in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Real-world Miami is used by Rockstar North as a basis for Vice City in all three different universes of the series.
This anomaly is exclusive to the 3D Universe only.
Description[]
This anomaly occurs because the State of Florida, which serves as the main setting for both Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, does not have a fictional name within the 3D Universe. Vice City is explicitly referred to as a city in Florida across multiple titles in this universe.
In contrast, within the HD Universe, all real-life events associated with Miami are explicitly reimagined as events tied to Vice City, which is located in the fictional State of Leonida. This confirms that Miami does not exist in the HD Universe.[1]
Influence[]
Similar to other unseen Florida locations near Vice City—such as the Everglades, Tampa, and Reddick—Miami is implied to be a fictionalized version of the real-life city bearing the same name within the 3D Universe.
Grand Theft Auto III[]

An advertisement of Miami in Grand Theft Auto III.
In Grand Theft Auto III, several billboards advertise vacations to Miami, and Ray Machowski mentions planning to escape there when the CIA attempts to stop him from leaving Liberty City.
Additionally, the promotional website for Francis International Airport further supports the coexistence of Miami and Vice City in the 3D Universe.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]

"Move over Miami" billboard in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, a billboard in Little Haiti displays the phrase "Move over Miami," suggesting that even if Vice City is based on Miami, both cities coexist within the 3D Universe and may share similarities.
Original developer notes from Rockstar North in 2002, found in the main.sc script file under the section for item placements in Little Haiti, confirm that the billboard was intentional and not a placeholder or oversight.[2]
Easter Egg[]
The original Grand Theft Auto III "See you in Miami" billboard served as a teaser for the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Announced a year after GTA III, this marked Vice City's return to the series since its first appearance in the original 1997 Grand Theft Auto.
The Definitive Edition[]

Francis International Aiport billboard in Grand Theft Auto III - The Definitive Edition.
In Grand Theft Auto III - The Definitive Edition, the Miami advertisement billboard has been replaced by a similar one featuring a FlyUS plane, a screenshot of HD Universe Chumash from Grand Theft Auto V in the background, and the words "See You Soon."
Meanwhile, the "Move over Miami" billboard remains in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition, albeit with minor alterations. This is likely due to the outsourced studio Grove Street Games utilizing an AI upscaler for the remastered versions.
Trivia[]
- When Rockstar North rebooted the series in 2008, they preserved the fictional names of cities and states from the previous games. Initially, Vice City was introduced as "Vice City, Florida" in the HD Universe. However, the state name was later rendered non-canon after the retcon in Grand Theft Auto VI, where it was renamed "Vice City, Leonida.[3]
- Before the release of Grand Theft Auto III, DMA Design (now Rockstar North) planned an isometric 3D sequel to Grand Theft Auto 2, internally referred to as GTA 2.5. At one point, it was codenamed "GTA Miami" due to its setting in a Miami-inspired city with an unspecified name.
- Similarly to Miami, Hollywood is also mentioned by name in both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. However, much like the HD Universe's Leonida, the name was retconned in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In pedestrian dialogue, actors previously referred to as Hollywood actors are instead called Vinewood actors, officially removing Hollywood from the 3D Universe canon.
See Also[]
- Everglades – Another unseen area in Florida in the 3D Universe.
References[]
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