- Rockstar Games considered a Tokyo-based GTA, but the plan was abandoned midway.
- Other international cities were explored as potential GTA settings for future installments.
- GTA VI is expected to return to classic American cities due to audience familiarity and franchise identity.
Grand Theft Auto nearly broke free from its long-standing American backdrop when Rockstar Games seriously looked into a Tokyo-based edition of the game. As stated by renowned developer Obbe Vermeij, an external studio in Japan would have worked on the project utilizing Rockstar's game code.
Vermeij, who worked as technical director on GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA IV, claimed that the plan was close to advancing beyond the concept stage. However, the deal eventually fell apart for unspecified reasons, and the franchise remained firmly established in the United States.
Rockstar Explored Global Cities for GTA
Not only that, but the veteran developer also revealed that Rockstar Games’ GTA team examined a range of international locations for future installments. In a recent interview with GamesHub, as cited by various industry reports, Obbe Vermeij said that places like Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul were being considered as potential backdrops.
The remarks highlight Rockstar's near departure from the franchise in terms of both location and operations. Entrusting development to a partner studio in Japan would have represented an important shift from the company's formerly centralized, U.S.-based production strategy.
However, when GTA grew into a blockbuster franchise with multibillion-dollar stakes, the equation changed. Vermeij emphasized that business risk and audience familiarity drew the publisher back to familiar territory, and that GTA's cultural identity is strongly ingrained in its American satire and fictionalized U.S. locales.
Will GTA VI Be Similar to Vice City?
Vermeij also suggested that GTA VI will attract players based on the popularity of Vice City, indicating that the new game may have similar elements to its predecessor. He further added that Rockstar will most likely return to classic American locations such as New York, Los Angeles, and potentially Las Vegas. “We’re stuck in this loop of about five American cities,” Vermeij added while noting that fans may have to accept this pattern. All in all, for a series distinguished by inventiveness within a familiar template, GTA: Tokyo is still one of the franchise's most intriguing “what-ifs.”
