GTA V Map Allegedly Leaked by Rockstar Employee

Someone on Twitter purporting to be a Rockstar employee has posted a blurry picture that he claims is a map of Grand Theft Auto V's game world. According to a series of tweets, the source of the image works for Rockstar, but he’ll be leaving the company soon.

As you can see, the map features geography that looks nothing like the prior incarnation of San Andreas. Instead, the layout more closely resembles that of real world Los Angeles, though it’s far from a direct recreation. The sheer scope of the region is impressive, representing what looks to be hundreds of square miles of Southern California.

If the map is genuine, it reveals the names of a few of the locations that’ll be appearing in the game. We’ve Onlay Hills, likely a take on Beverly Hills given its location on the map. The debut trailer featured a jewelry heist in what looked like a fictionalized version of Rodeo Drive, so the area’s inclusion is almost a given.

Next is the Hunter Valley. This is probably GTA V’s take on the San Gorgonio Wilderness area, though it could also be the Angeles National Forest. Either way, this area would likely be the heavily forested, mountainous area we saw in the trailer.

Finally, there’s Las Palmas, which could well be a stand-in for Palm Springs given its name and location east of the city. That would account for the shot of the wind farm in the trailer, as they litter the desert between L.A. and Palm Springs.

Of course, there’s always the chance that this image is just an exceptionally clever fake. As with everything else GTA V related, we’ll have to wait and see what the future brings.