The GTA series, like Fallout, will always remain in America.
For years, the GTA series, with its narratives of life in the United States, has become a cultural icon of the gaming industry. Now, one of the co-founders of the development company has explained in an interview why returning to London or non-American cities is no longer logical for this series.
Throughout the history of the GTA series, most versions have been set in the United States. Although the game has occasionally ventured into other regions, overall, the series has consistently remained faithful to American narratives, and there is a clear reason for this choice.
In an interview with Lex Friedman, Dan Houser, one of the co-founders of Rockstar, discussed why the GTA series has not returned to London or major cities outside of America.
He said:
About 26 years ago, we made a small version of GTA in London; a title called GTA London (with a top-down camera angle) which was designed for PlayStation 1. That game was a fun and well-made experience. However, it must be said that the American identity is deeply ingrained in the GTA series, and designing such a game in London or any other city outside of America would be very difficult. This series requires specific elements, including the use of firearms and exaggerated, larger-than-life characters. The game’s atmosphere is heavily influenced by American culture, and these characteristics are so embedded in the structure and spirit of the series that recreating the same experience in a non-American environment is practically impossible and would not yield similar results.
With these remarks, Dan Houser emphasized that GTA is dependent on America not only geographically but also culturally and narratively. The characters, urban environment, types of interactions, and even the game’s unique humor all stem from American culture. Therefore, attempting to transfer this experience to a city like London might lead to the loss of the series’ core identity.
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