For as long as we can remember, Rockstar Games has kept returning to familiar American cities as a setting for its GTA games. And time and again, fans have wondered what a GTA game would look like that is set outside the US. Neon streets instead of freeways, subways instead of muscle cars, and completely different cultural feel. As it turns out, those conversations were not just fan fiction. According to a former Rockstar insider, Rockstar Games once came very close to doing exactly that. A Grand Theft Auto game set in Tokyo was not only discussed, it nearly happened, before quietly disappearing into the studio’s long list of what-ifs.
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GTA Tokyo was closer to reality than most fans realised
The revelation comes from Obbe Vermeij, a key technical figure behind some of the most influential entries in the series. Speaking in a recent interview with GamesHub, Vermeij explained that Rockstar seriously explored the idea of taking GTA beyond the United States in the early 2000s. Among several international concepts, including Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Istanbul, Tokyo stood out as the one that nearly moved forward.
The plan was unconventional by Rockstar standards. Instead of being developed internally, GTA Tokyo would have been handled by a Japanese studio using Rockstar’s core game code. The idea was ambitious but also risky, especially for a franchise already becoming a cultural lightning rod. For reasons that were never publicly detailed, the project fell apart before production could begin. Still, the fact that Take-Two even trademarked Grand Theft Auto Tokyo back in 2003 suggests this was far more than a casual brainstorm scribbled on a whiteboard.
Why Grand Theft Auto keeps returning to American cities
Despite the appeal of global locations, Vermeij believes the series has effectively locked itself into the US. Part of that is creative identity. Grand Theft Auto is not just a crime game. It is a sharp, often uncomfortable satire of American culture, politics and media. That specific tone becomes harder to replicate elsewhere without fundamentally changing what GTA is.
There are also practical reasons. Modern GTA games take close to a decade to develop and cost staggering amounts of money. With that level of investment, Rockstar is unlikely to gamble on unfamiliar cultural territory purely for novelty. Technology has also played a role. Each return to a familiar city feels radically different because the underlying systems evolve so dramatically. From Rockstar’s perspective, revisiting a location does not mean repeating it. It means rebuilding it at an entirely new scale.
About GTA 6
Rockstar’s next game in the GTA franchise, GTA 6, is currently slated for a November 19, 2026 release. The game has been delayed twice in 2025. What started as a fall 2025 window shifted to May 2026 and then moved again, stretching the wait by nearly a year. However, the hype has only grown stronger.
GTA VI has also won four awards before launch, including Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards 2025 for the second consecutive year, a feat previously achieved only by Elden Ring. Add to that wins at the Golden Joystick Awards for Best Game Trailer and Most Wanted Game, and it is clear that Rockstar’s long development cycle has not dulled excitement. Set in a modern reimagining of Vice City with dual protagonists Jason and Lucia, GTA VI now carries the weight of more than eleven years of development and expectations that few games in history have ever faced. Will it thrive? Only time will tell.
Also read: GTA VI has already won four awards ahead of launch: Full details
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Divyanshi Sharma
Divyanshi Sharma is a media and communications professional with over 8 years of experience in the industry. With a strong background in tech journalism, she has covered everything from the latest gadgets to gaming trends and brings a sharp editorial lens to every story. She holds a master’s diploma in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Her love for writing and gaming began early—often skipping classes to try out the latest titles—which naturally evolved into a career at the intersection of technology and storytelling. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her exploring virtual worlds on her console or PC, or testing out a new laptop she managed to get her hands on. View Full Profile
