GTA Rio and GTA Tokyo Were Considered, Says Former Rockstar

Key Takeaways

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GTA: Tokyo almost became a reality through a partnership with an external studio, but the plan ultimately fell through.
The increasing development time required for massive-scale GTA games makes expanding the series to global cities unfeasible, according to former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij.
Despite these limitations, Vermeij expressed enthusiasm for a city outside the U.S. being featured as an expanded area in GTA, specifically mentioning a Caribbean or Colombian setting.
Vermeij believes that GTA 6, set in Vice City (Miami), will continue the series cycle of about five American cities due to the long development time required for each game.

Former Rockstar North Tech Director Reveals Plans for GTA Tokyo and Other International Expansions

In the 2000s, Rockstar considered developing Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games set in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, according to former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij. While Rockstar leaders have stated that they see Grand Theft Auto as intrinsically linked to American culture—with cities like Liberty City (New York), Los Santos (Los Angeles), and Vice City (Miami) reflecting American ideals, crime, and social satire—fans have often wondered how the franchise’s formula might translate to cities like Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. According to Vermeij in an interview with Gameshub, GTA: Tokyo almost became a reality through a partnership with an external studio. “There was a desire, but it’s like discussing alternative projects at Rockstar when you start to seriously think about them,” Vermeij said. “We had ideas for GTA games in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. Tokyo almost happened for real. Another studio in Japan was going to make the game, use our code, and create GTA.” Ultimately, the plan fell through.

GTA Series Stuck in Five American Cities, Expansion to Global Cities Seems Unfeasible According to Former Tech Director

GTA 6, set in Vice City (Miami), is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Vermeij believes that the increasing development time required for massive-scale GTA games makes expanding the series to global cities unfeasible. “It’s simply not realistic,” he explained. “I’d love to, but if the games still took a year to make, then sure, you could have a bit of fun, but you won’t be able to when there’s a new GTA every twelve years. You won’t set it in a new location. In fact, you don’t need to, because technology changes so much. No one will say they won’t play GTA VI just because they played Vice City. That doesn’t make sense. It’s completely different. They’ll revisit New York. They might return to Los Angeles or perhaps Las Vegas. I fear we’re stuck in this cycle of about five American cities.”

Expansion to a Non-US City in GTA Considered for Extra Feature – Caribbean or Colombian Setting Potentially Intriguing

Despite these limitations, the former technical director expressed enthusiasm for a city outside the U.S. being featured as an expanded area in GTA. When asked about rumors of a Caribbean or Colombian setting for GTA 6, he said, “I think it would be incredible. I think a drug dealer would combine well with the game. By the way, I advocated for this to be added to the early games, but it was never implemented. But I don’t think Rockstar is working on this. It’s too much work for just an extra feature.”

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