Rockstar could finally be considering a change of scenery in future GTA installments.
Grand Theft Auto could eventually leave the United States behind, with Rockstar Games seemingly open to introducing an entirely new international setting in a future installment.
Speaking to The Guardian in a recent interview about the development of GTA 6, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson was asked whether the team could ever imagine creating a GTA game set outside America.
"Never say never, but there's still so much to do in America," Nelson responded.
Rockstar Developer Doesn't Rule Out International GTA Setting
Although he didn't specifically mention GTA 7 or confirm that Rockstar is planning an international setting, his response suggests that the possibility hasn't been completely ruled out.
The long-running franchise has predominantly explored fictional versions of American locations, including Liberty City, Los Santos, and Vice City. GTA 6 will continue that tradition when it launches on November 19, taking players to Leonida, Rockstar's fictional interpretation of Florida.
However, Nelson's comments could mean that future installments might finally introduce a completely different country and culture to the series.
Rockstar Has Previously Considered International Locations
Interestingly, taking GTA overseas isn't an entirely new idea for the developer. Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij previously revealed that the studio had considered several international settings. "We had our own idea in the Rockstar North office over what we'd do with Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Istanbul," he recalled.
One particularly interesting project was GTA: Tokyo, which reportedly came close to becoming a reality, with a Japanese developer potentially taking charge of the project. However, none of these concepts eventually made it into a finished game.
Vermeij previously suggested that Rockstar was unlikely to move away from American cities, as it would be easier to portray the "culture more accurately."