In a revelation that will surprise fans worldwide, a former Rockstar Games insider has disclosed that the iconic Grand Theft Auto series was once on the verge of leaving American shores. According to Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director at Rockstar, the studio actively explored international locations for future titles, a plan that ultimately never saw the light of day.
From Rio to Moscow: The Global GTA That Never Was
In a recent interview with Gameshub, Obbe Vermeij pulled back the curtain on Rockstar's ambitious but shelved plans. He confirmed that the development team seriously considered setting Grand Theft Auto games in vibrant global cities like Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. The exploration went beyond mere discussion for one particular project.
A version of Grand Theft Auto: Tokyo was reportedly in active development. The plan involved a Japanese studio building the game using Rockstar's proprietary internal technology. This project advanced further than other international concepts but was ultimately shelved during the early planning stages, never progressing to full production.
Why American Streets Remain GTA's Only Playground
Vermeij provided a clear, business-focused rationale for why these global adventures were cancelled. As the GTA franchise ballooned into a multi-billion-dollar property, the financial risks grew exponentially. Setting a mainline game outside the United States became a gamble too big to take.
The former director explained that American cities offer an instant, globally recognised backdrop. Decades of Hollywood films, television shows, and music have made locations like New York (Liberty City), Los Angeles (Los Santos), and Miami (Vice City) familiar to players everywhere, even if they have never visited the US. "When you’re dealing with projects of this scale, people naturally fall back on what they know will work," Vermeij stated. "American cities are familiar to everyone, and that familiarity reduces risk."
He further argued that while fans might crave the novelty of a Bogotá or Toronto setting, these locations lack the immediate cultural shorthand that American cities provide. With each GTA entry now taking nearly a decade to develop, Rockstar has little incentive to experiment with unfamiliar geography.
The Future is Familiar: GTA 6 and Beyond
Vermeij's insights cast a clear light on the future of the series. With GTA 6 officially returning to Vice City, Rockstar's version of Miami, the pattern is set. Future instalments are likely to revisit other established US-inspired locales like Liberty City or Los Santos rather than breaking new international ground.
The reasoning is brutally pragmatic: players are unlikely to skip a new GTA simply because the city is familiar. The leaps in technology, storytelling, and sheer scale between releases make each iteration feel fresh, regardless of the setting.
This perspective aligns with comments from Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser. On the Lex Fridman podcast, Houser explained that aside from the experimental GTA: London in the late 1990s, the series' DNA is deeply American. The satire, the crime, the firearms, and the larger-than-life characters are all tied to a distinctly American cultural lens. Moving the franchise overseas, in their view, would dilute its core identity.
For now, and for the foreseeable future, the sun will continue to set only on the American horizon for the Grand Theft Auto series.
