Rockstar once seriously considered a Japanese studio to develop a Tokyo-based Grand Theft Auto

Rockstar North’s former technical director, Obbe Vermeij, has shed light on an abandoned project that would have taken the Grand Theft Auto franchise to Japan. In a recent interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Vermeij confirmed that the developer once negotiated with a Japanese studio to create a Tokyo-based entry in the series, a move intended to help the franchise gain traction in a market where it historically struggled.

The plan for Tokyo

According to Vermeij, who worked at Rockstar from 1995 to 2009, the project was “definitely serious” and featured concrete development concepts. “It definitely had samurai swords in it, I remember that, but I think it was present-day probably,” Vermeij told the outlet. While Rockstar filed a trademark for “GTA Tokyo” in 2003, negotiations with the unnamed Japanese studio ultimately stalled. Vermeij noted that the decision-making for such high-level partnerships was above his pay grade, but he expressed personal interest in the idea, suggesting that having a local studio handle the title could have offered a fresh perspective on the series.

Refining the American identity

Despite the early interest in international locales—which included internal discussions about potential titles set in Moscow, London, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris—Rockstar eventually moved away from the concept. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, who departed the company in 2020, previously told podcaster Lex Fridman that the team concluded Grand Theft Auto’s identity was too deeply tied to American culture to be replicated elsewhere effectively.

“I think 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,” Houser explained, as cited by Rock Paper Shotgun. Take-Two Interactive ultimately abandoned the GTA Tokyo trademark in 2008, cementing the studio’s focus on North American settings for the series.

Why it matters

For fans of the series, this revelation offers a glimpse into what might have been a radical departure for the franchise. The pivot highlights the inherent tension between Rockstar’s global ambitions and its commitment to a specific, satire-heavy depiction of American life. While a Japan-based GTA never materialized, the interest in urban open-world design eventually found a home in other titles, such as the *Yakuza/Like A Dragon* series and *Ghostwire: Tokyo*.

Players should note that this remains a historical “what-if” scenario rather than an indication of future expansion for the series. The fundamental “Americana” philosophy cited by Houser suggests that Rockstar continues to view the United States as the essential foundation for the Grand Theft Auto experience, making a non-US setting unlikely for future mainline entries.