The Grand Theft Auto series nearly took a dramatic turn away from its iconic American settings, according to a new revelation from a former senior developer at Rockstar Games.
Obbe Vermeij, Rockstar’s former technical director, has disclosed that GTA Tokyo was once seriously explored as a potential setting before the franchise ultimately returned to familiar US cities. The disclosure has sparked intense discussion among fans, many of whom are imagining how a Japanese setting could have reshaped the series.
In a recent interview, Obbe Vermeij explained that Rockstar once evaluated several international locations as future backdrops for the franchise. Alongside Tokyo, cities such as Istanbul, Moscow, and Rio de Janeiro were also considered during early planning stages.
Vermeij revealed that the idea had progressed far enough for Rockstar to expect a Japanese studio to participate in development. However, as the franchise’s scope and budget grew, the project was ultimately shelved in favour of returning to US-based cities.
【ニュース】“「GTA Tokyo」がもう少しで実現していた”との元ロックスター開発者証言。日本のスタジオが開発する構想だったhttps://t.co/rhoKPOBzEq pic.twitter.com/rYDg7tVBGW
— AUTOMATON（オートマトン） (@AUTOMATONJapan) December 24, 2025Why Rockstar stayed in the US
Vermeij suggested that the franchise’s expanding scale made unconventional locations less viable. He explained that as development costs increased, Rockstar became more cautious about experimenting with unfamiliar settings.
He added that novelty alone was not enough to justify a dramatic geographic shift. According to Vermeij, locations that felt too far removed from the franchise’s identity risked undermining what makes GTA work.
Read: GTA 6 Online Could Adopt MMORPG-Style Features
The revelation quickly gained traction on social media, where fans shared a mix of excitement and frustration. Many expressed disappointment that GTA Tokyo never materialised, while others joked about how different the series might have been with a fully realised international setting.
Former Rockstar dev reveals GTA: Tokyo "almost actually happened." https://t.co/96vbiGzY3X pic.twitter.com/yXAlZLGPzI
— IGN (@IGN) December 24, 2025Some fans described the idea as a missed opportunity to make the game world feel even more alive, arguing that Tokyo’s dense urban culture could have added new depth to the franchise. Others raised concerns that renewed discussion around scrapped concepts might fuel speculation about future delays.
Looking ahead to GTA VI
While Grand Theft Auto VI is set to continue Rockstar’s focus on US-inspired locations, Vermeij’s comments highlight how close the series once came to a global reinvention.
For many longtime players, the idea of GTA Tokyo remains one of the franchise’s most intriguing “what if” moments, a reminder of how different the game of a generation might have been.
