As November 4th marks a significant milestone for gamers， this year promises a lineup of highly anticipated titles. Chief among them， and capturing the most attention， is the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) on May 26th.
Given GTA VI’s immense popularity， a question naturally arises: have the developers considered the global gaming community by exploring settings beyond the United States? Many game studios leverage diverse， international backdrops as a key strategy to attract a wider player base.
However， for the GTA series， this possibility appears to be off the table. Rockstar’s co-founder， Dan Houser， has stated that the series is intrinsically linked to the American landscape and will therefore never feature cities outside of the United States as its primary setting.
In a sense， this can be viewed as a form of “American exceptionalism” within the gaming industry， albeit one delivered with a distinctive， almost satirical， flair. Houser believes that the unique essence of GTA cannot be replicated in other national contexts due to two pivotal American advantages.
These advantages are the prevalence of gun freedom and the pervasive influence of American popular culture. These elements are deeply embedded in the DNA of GTA games， and transplanting the experience to another country would fundamentally alter its core gameplay and thematic resonance.
He further elaborated by citing cities like Miami， New York， and Los Angeles as ideal locations for GTA titles. These metropolises， he explained， offer a “melting pot” atmosphere characterized by extravagance， allure， a significant immigrant presence， organized crime， and vast disparities in wealth – essentially forming the perfect canvas for a GTA narrative.
It’s worth noting that the GTA franchise isn’t entirely devoid of international influences. The series did feature London-themed content in expansion packs years ago， specifically in 1999. However， based on Dan Houser’s current stance， it seems highly improbable that future installments will adopt settings from other nations.
