Overview
- Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij told GamesHub that a Japan-based partner was set to build GTA: Tokyo using Rockstar’s code before the proposal fizzled.
- Vermeij said ideas for entries set in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul were also explored during the GTA III–San Andreas era.
- He described executives’ preference for familiar U.S. locales as a commercial safeguard given the stakes involved and the brand’s American cultural satire.
- Lengthy modern development cycles and rapid tech shifts make a non‑U.S. setting unlikely, with Vermeij expecting a rotation of cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
- The reports arrive as Rockstar’s next entry returns to Vice City, with Grand Theft Auto VI scheduled for November 19, 2026.