GTA Will Never Leave the US, Rockstar Founder Confirms

• GTA Stays in the USA: Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser confirms the blockbuster series will not be set in other countries.
• It’s All About "Americana": Houser explains that the franchise is fundamentally built on American culture, requiring "guns" and "larger-than-life characters."
• GTA London Was a One-Off: The early PlayStation mission pack is considered an exception, not a model for future full-scale games.
• GTA 6 Confirms the Trend: The upcoming title is set in the fictional U.S. state of Leonida, doubling down on the parody of American life.

The American Dream or an American Prison?

For years, fans have debated whether the iconic Grand Theft Auto series would ever explore a setting outside the United States. Now, they have a definitive, and perhaps disappointing, answer. Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games and a lead writer on the series, has confirmed that GTA is intrinsically, and permanently, tied to America.

Speaking on the Lex Fridman podcast, Houser laid to rest any speculation of a Grand Theft Auto set in London, Tokyo, or any other international locale. "There was so much Americana inherent in the IP, it would be really hard to make it work in London or anywhere else," he stated.

You Needed Guns, You Needed Larger-Than-Life Characters

Houser elaborated on the core components that make GTA what it is, pointing to specific cultural elements he feels are uniquely American. "You know, you needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters," he explained. "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.”

While he acknowledged the existence of "GTA London," a mission pack for the original top-down PlayStation game, he dismissed it as a "cute and fun" one-off rather than a blueprint for a modern title. The brand has since been built entirely on its satirical portrayal of the United States, a trend set to continue with the highly anticipated GTA 6, which takes place in the Florida-inspired state of Leonida.

More Than a Game: A Cultural Export

The series' connection to the U.S. is so profound that it has become a subject of academic study. Professor Tore Olsson of the University of Tennessee is even planning a history class for 2026 focused on how GTA has shaped global perceptions of contemporary America. "Millions of people around the globe imagine contemporary America through the lens of the Grand Theft Auto franchise," Olsson told IGN, highlighting how players recognize real-world landmarks in Los Angeles and New York from their time in Los Santos and Liberty City.

A Shared Industry Philosophy

Rockstar isn't alone in this U.S.-centric view. Bethesda's development chief, Todd Howard, has expressed similar sentiments about the Fallout series, ruling out a non-U.S. setting to preserve the "Americana naivete" that defines its post-apocalyptic world. For both franchises, the United States isn't just a setting; it's a core character. As the world waits for GTA 6, one thing is certain: the series will remain firmly, and unapologetically, American.