What if the busy streets of Tokyo had replaced those of Vice City or San Andreas? This is a little-known part of Rockstar’s history that a former developer of the Grand Theft Auto saga has just revealed. And it came close to GTA finally leaving the United States.
It was during an interview with GamesHub that Obbe Vermeij, former technical director at Rockstar North, revealed the existence of an aborted project: GTA Tokyo. Planned to be developed by a Japanese studio, the game should have used the engine of the flagship opuses to offer an unprecedented immersion in the Japanese capital. But despite advanced discussions, the idea was abandoned before entering production.
Rockstar has considered a GTA in Japan, but also in Rio, Moscow or Istanbul
Obbe Vermeij worked on several cult episodes of the series, including GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas. According to him, the desire to take the license beyond American borders did exist within the studio: “We had ideas for GTA games in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Istanbul. Tokyo almost saw the light of day. Another Japanese studio had to take charge, take our code and create GTA: Tokyo. But in the end, it didn’t happen.”
In 1999, Rockstar had already tried the European experience with GTA: London, an add-on for the very first episode. Since then, all the major games in the license have been confined to fictional cities inspired by the United States. A choice that owes nothing to chance.
Why GTA remains (and will remain?) a saga centered on America
The answer is simple: the collective imagination around American cities is universal. For Rockstar, focusing on recognizable settings, even for players who have never set foot in New York or Miami, facilitates immersion. “America is sort of the epicenter of Western culture, so everyone knows the cities, even those who have never been there. They have a precise mental image of these cities.”
Beyond the cultural aspect, it is the economic logic that takes precedence. “When billions of dollars are at stake, it’s too easy to say, ‘Let’s go back to what we already know.’
A GTA in South America or Toronto? Unlikely according to Rockstar
Vermeij says a change of continent is not planned, although some fans hope GTA 6 will include areas inspired by the Caribbean or Colombia. “I think it’s unlikely that the next film will be set in Bogota, especially as the sums involved increase as the project grows. It would be absurd to place it in an improbable place just to be original. Toronto, for example? That wouldn’t work.”
He himself would have liked to explore certain more daring themes, such as smuggling or cartels, but this was never chosen. “I was constantly trying to incorporate that into older games, but it never happened.”
GTA Tokyo: a dream buried but not forgotten
Even if the project never got beyond the discussion stage, the idea of a GTA Tokyo continues to fuel fantasies. With the success of franchises like Yakuza or Cyberpunk 2077, an open world in a Japanese setting would have been attractive.
But for Rockstar, the bet is too risky. Leaving the United States would mean abandoning the very essence of GTA: an acid satire of modern America. And for the moment, no other territory seems to be able to offer the same narrative material.