GTA Works Best in Cities like Miami, New York and Los Angeles, Says Rockstar Co-Founder

Grand Theft Auto always prompts debate about where the next entry should land. Fans suggest Tokyo, São Paulo, or even London, yet the series keeps circling back to familiar American settings. A conversation with Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser recently shed more light on why the US remains the core stage for GTA storytelling.

Good to Know

• Only one GTA release ever went outside the US
• GTA locations reflect American culture themes
• GTA 6 console launch set for May 26, PC date unconfirmed

Why American Cities Fit the GTA Formula

Players associate Liberty City with New York, Vice City with Miami, and Los Santos with Los Angeles. These places carry a certain energy: surface shine mixed with chaos underneath. Speaking on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Houser explained:

“There’s a reason why GTA kept coming back to Miami, New York, Los Angeles,” he said. Miami in particular balances glamorous nightlife with a darker side, offering an ideal mirror for stories about crime, ambition, and satire.

While the franchise has existed for decades, the only time it ventured abroad was GTA London 1969 back in 1999. Houser described it as “pretty cute and fun,” but noted it did not inspire further international settings for full mainline games.

American Culture Anchors the Gameplay

Houser explained that the personality of GTA is tied to a version of American culture that blends oversized characters, gun access, and entertainment spectacle.

“For a full GTA game, we always decided there was so much Americana inherent in the IP, it would be really hard to make it work in London or anywhere else. You needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters—it just felt like the game was so much about America, possibly from an outsider’s perspective, but that was so much about what the thing was that it wouldn’t really have worked in the same way elsewhere.”

The setting is not just backdrop—it feeds the satire, missions, humor, radio ads, and every layer of storytelling.

Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives on consoles on May 26. A PC release has not been announced. Houser confirmed he did not work on the GTA 6 script, saying: “The world’s probably had enough GTA from me.”

There has already been heavy attention around the next release. We recently reported that GTA VI has become the most anticipated game in the UK ahead of launch, which shows how strong early interest already is. Industry estimates are also suggesting that this delay could cost the US gaming market roughly $2.7 billion.

FAQ

Could GTA eventually move outside the US?

It is possible, but doing so would require altering the tone and satire that define the current format.

Why do GTA cities imitate real cities instead of copying them exactly?

This approach gives space for exaggeration, humor, and social commentary without needing perfect accuracy.

Will GTA 6 release on PC later?

Rockstar has done staggered PC releases in the past, but nothing is confirmed yet.