GTA 6 Boss Says "Never Say Never" to a GTA Set Outside America
GTA: London, anyone? Rockstar isn't saying no.
Grand Theft Auto has spent almost its whole life in fake versions of American cities, and one of the people leading GTA 6 isn't ruling out a change someday. Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North and one of GTA 6's leads, was asked by The Guardian whether a future GTA could leave the United States. "Never say never, but there's still so much to do in America," he said, according to GamesRadar+.
Nelson was also asked whether Rockstar's roots in Scotland give the studio a different view of the US. "I think we're all outsiders to this version of America," he said, adding that "no one experiences the America that we're portraying here in its fullness."
Has GTA ever left America before?
Only once, and you have to go way back to find it. The original 1997 Grand Theft Auto got expansion packs set in 1960s London, and GTA BOOM points out that those are still the only time the series has really left the US.
Since GTA III, every main game in the series has stayed in a fictional version of an American city or state, from Liberty City to Los Santos. That's why Nelson's answer got so much attention, since GTA BOOM called it the most open a Rockstar lead has sounded about the idea.
Where is GTA 6 set?
GTA 6 brings the series back to Vice City, Rockstar's take on Miami, inside the larger state of Leonida, which is based on Florida. According to GTA BOOM, Rockstar has spent more than a decade studying the real Miami that inspired Vice City, which shows how much work goes into each of these settings.
That's also the biggest hurdle for a GTA set in London or Tokyo. A new country would mean starting that research almost from scratch, and Nelson clearly thinks the US still has plenty of stories left to tell.
When does GTA 6 come out?
GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which is exactly one week from today. Preloads are already live, and you can find everything else you need to know in our GTA 6 guide.
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My read is that Nelson gave the most honest answer he could. GTA's satire works because it's aimed squarely at American excess, from the fake ads to the talk radio, and moving the series to London would mean rebuilding that whole voice. Still, a modern GTA set in a fake version of London is something I'd happily wait another decade for. (Please don't make us wait another decade.)
Where should GTA go after Vice City? Tell us in the comments.
