Rockstar Games co-founder says GTA’s identity is ‘Americana inherent’, won’t work if set outside the US

Grand Theft Auto games have left an indelible mark on popular culture and even influenced a whole generation since their debut in 1997. However, the popular open-world game has mainly been set in the United States with fictionalized city names like Liberty City, Vice City, and Los Santos. The only exception to this trend was when the company explored setting the game in London, back in 1999.

​However, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser explained in a recent podcast with Lex Fridman why the company has not returned to a London-like setting and said it would be really hard to make it work anywhere else in the world.

​“We made a little thing in London 26 years ago, GTA London, for the top-down, for the PS1. That was pretty cute and fun, as the first mission pack ever for PlayStation 1,” Houser told Fridman.

​“I think for a full GTA game, we always decided that there was so much Americana inherent in the IP, it would be really hard to make it work in London or anywhere else,” he added.

​Notably, Houser resigned from Rockstar Games in 2020 and founded a new gaming studio called Absurd Ventures.

​Meanwhile, Rockstar Games has been busy working on the latest edition of Grand Theft Auto — GTA 6 — which is confirmed to be set in the fictional city of Vice City.

​What will GTA 6 be about?

​GTA 6 will have a Bonnie-and-Clyde-like dynamic relationship between the two protagonists, Lucia and Jason. Rockstar has released two teasers for the game so far and, after multiple delays, the game is said to be launching on May 26, 2026.

​Players will reportedly get the option to switch between controlling Lucia and Jason during gameplay and specific missions. The new edition of GTA is coming after a break of over a decade since its predecessor came out and has led to great excitement among the fans.

​If leaks are to be believed, GTA 6 could be the longest-ever game in the Grand Theft Auto series, potentially taking up to 75 hours to complete. The game is also set to parody 2020s American culture with potential satirical depictions of social media and influencer culture.

​The game will first be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, PS5 Slim, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, while a PC release could still take some time.