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Rockstar once considered taking Grand Theft Auto beyond the US, with plans for cities like Tokyo, Moscow and Rio. Former developer Obbe Vermeij explains why GTA ultimately stayed rooted in America despite early ambitions.
The Grand Theft Auto series almost took players far beyond the United States, according to former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij. In a recent interview with Gameshub published earlier this week, Vermeij revealed that Rockstar once explored the idea of setting future GTA titles in international locations such as Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Istanbul.
One project even progressed further than the rest. A version of GTA: Tokyo was reportedly in development, with plans for a Japanese studio to build the game using Rockstar’s internal technology. Ultimately, however, the project was shelved before it could move beyond early planning.
Why GTA: Tokyo Never Happened
Vermeij explained that while the creative ambition was there, commercial reality ultimately took over. As the franchise grew into a multi-billion-dollar property, the risk of setting a mainline GTA outside the US became harder to justify.
According to him, American cities provide an instantly recognisable backdrop for global audiences. Even players who have never visited the US have a strong cultural understanding of places like New York, Los Angeles or Miami thanks to decades of film, television and music.
“When you’re dealing with projects of this scale, people naturally fall back on what they know will work,” Vermeij suggested. “American cities are familiar to everyone, and that familiarity reduces risk.”
Why International Settings Are Unlikely
While fans frequently call for GTA to explore new parts of the world, Vermeij believes the realities of modern game development make that increasingly unlikely. With each entry taking close to a decade to develop, Rockstar has little incentive to gamble on unfamiliar settings.
He argued that even if players might be excited by the idea of cities such as Bogotá or Toronto, those locations lack the immediate cultural shorthand that American cities offer. In his view, the series is now effectively locked into a cycle of revisiting a handful of US-inspired locations.
Vice City Today, More of the Same Tomorrow
With GTA 6 officially set in Vice City, Rockstar’s stylised version of Miami, the series once again returns to familiar ground. And if Vermeij is correct, future instalments are likely to revisit other established locations such as Liberty City or Los Santos rather than break new geographic ground.
He summed it up bluntly: players are unlikely to skip a new GTA simply because they have seen the city before. The technology, storytelling and scale evolve so dramatically between releases that the setting feels new regardless.
Rockstar’s Own View: America Is the DNA of GTA
Vermeij’s comments align closely with those of Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, who previously addressed the topic on the Lex Fridman podcast. Houser explained that, aside from the experimental GTA: London released in the late 1990s, the series has always been deeply rooted in American culture.
According to Houser, the exaggerated crime, firearms, and larger-than-life characters central to GTA are intrinsically tied to a distinctly American worldview. Moving the franchise overseas, he suggested, would dilute what makes it work.
Key Takeaways
- The GTA franchise thrives on its connection to American culture, making it challenging to set games in unfamiliar international locations.
- Familiarity with American cities reduces risk for developers and enhances the game's appeal to a global audience.
- Future GTA installments are likely to revisit established US cities rather than explore new geographic territories.
English (US) ·