Former Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser has revealed that there was never a serious attempt to create a 3D Grand Theft Auto game set in London, stating that American culture is fundamentally embedded in the series' DNA.

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In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, Houser, who left the developer in 2020, explained that the franchise has "so much Americana inherent in the IP" that it would be difficult to translate elsewhere, especially in London, England, which last appeared as an in-game location during the 2D era. “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. You know, you needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters,” Houser explained. “It just felt like the game was so much about America, possibly from an outsider’s perspective. That was so much about what the thing was that it wouldn’t really have worked in the same way elsewhere.”
Houser also commented on GTA VI’s return to Vice City, explaining why the franchise continues to recycle its locales, even if they’re essentially new places in each title. “You know, there’s a reason why GTA kept coming back to Miami, New York, Los Angeles,” the co-founder said. “I think they’re all very good for exactly what you laid out. You could move it to any of those and it would work, you know? There’s a melting pot aspect to [cities like] LA. There’s glitz, glamour, underbelly, immigrants, enormous wealth in all of them. I think those are what are really fun for not even just GTA, but for anything where you want a slice of life.”
Last week, it was reported that Rockstar had fired over 20 developers, claiming that those affected engaged in “gross misconduct.” However, it was later highlighted that the staff let go from the developer were either in a union or aiming to form a new union at the studio, leading to accusations of union busting.

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Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser explains why Grand Theft Auto will remain based in the US