The Grand Theft Auto franchise was close to changing its location in the past: one of the installments was planned to take place in Tokyo. This was revealed by former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij, who participated in the development of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. The project was eventually canceled.
Over the years, the series has become firmly associated with the USA — Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City were conceived as analogues of New York, California, and Florida. The last time GTA went beyond North America was more than 25 years ago, when the action took place in London. And the idea of a Japanese installment was indeed discussed.
In an interview with GamesHub, Vermeij confirmed that Rockstar considered several foreign settings.
We had ideas for GTA in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. Tokyo almost happened. A Japanese studio was supposed to take our code and make GTA: Tokyo, but in the end, it didn't happen.
According to Vermeij, after the success of GTA V and against the backdrop of expectations for GTA 6, moving the series outside the United States became almost impossible.
When billions of dollars are at stake, it's easier to do what already works again. Moreover, America is the center of Western culture, and these cities are familiar to everyone, even those who have never been there.
