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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 <\/span>Gameshub<\/span><\/i> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n One project even progressed further than the rest. A version of <\/span>GTA: Tokyo<\/i><\/a> was reportedly in development, with plans for a Japanese studio to build the game using Rockstar\u2019s internal technology. Ultimately, however, the project was shelved before it could move beyond early planning.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to him<\/span>, American cities<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re dealing with projects of this scale, people naturally fall back on what they know will work,\u201d Vermeij suggested. \u201cAmerican cities are familiar to everyone, and that familiarity reduces risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy GTA: Tokyo Never Happened<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why International Settings Are Unlikely<\/strong><\/h2>\n