GTA could have swapped the US for Japan: Rockstar seriously considered Tokyo

The Grand Theft Auto video game series has been much closer to a radical change of location in the past than is commonly believed. Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij, who worked on GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, revealed that the studio considered setting one of the games in Tokyo, but the project never came to fruition.

For decades, the series has been associated with the United States: Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas were conceived as in-game reflections of New York, Florida, and California. GTA has only expanded beyond North America once—in the late 1990s, when one game was set in London. However, other international destinations were also discussed within the studio.

According to Vermeij, ideas for games set in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul were considered at various times. The Japanese version went the furthest: the local studio was supposed to use the existing code as a basis and develop a full-fledged GTA with a Tokyo setting. However, the project never progressed beyond the concept stage.

Over time, especially after the colossal success of GTA V and amid anticipation for a sixth installment, expanding the franchise beyond the US became unlikely. With billions of dollars at stake, the company prefers to rely on proven formulas, and American cities remain familiar and recognizable to a global audience, even those who have never visited them.