No one is sure where Rockstar will make the setting of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6. Grand Theft Auto's location is undeniably one of the most important aspects of the car-stealing franchise, and given that the games have ever only be set in American cities (aside from two Grand Theft Auto: London expansions) there has been speculation over whether Rockstar will break the mold and finally choose an international location.
A report released last year in March suggested the newest installment in the series may take place in two separate locations – Vice City and South America, which has been dubbed the Grand Theft Auto: Project Americas theory. It remains unclear if the storyline would give equal weight to both locations, but it’s speculated that the plot will start off in Miami and then have several large missions take place somewhere in South America, perhaps even in multiple locations. Some rumors have even suggested Rockstar may debut a new city based on Rio De Janeiro, and that Netflix’s Narcos is serving as thematic inspiration.
Vice City is obviously nothing new for the series, as 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is still well-beloved among fans. While the graphics will obviously be a significant improvement two decades later, fans have expressed some disappointment over Rockstar forgoing a different major city that the game has never explored before. Then again, considering the series returned to Los Angeles with the debut of GTA 5, it’s not out-of-character that they would revisit their roots with Vice City.
GTA 6 Is Going Back To Its Roots
As described by PC Gamer, earlier this year Rockstar re-shared a post on Instagram that was originally posted by @NBAoncourt. The image featured a young Lebron James with a copy of GTA: Vice City in front of him, leading many fans to wonder if the production company was foreshadowing the game’s setting. However, it turns out they’ve been hinting at a return to Vice City for years. Back in 2013, right after the release of GTA 5, Rockstar hinted that they might revisit a city GTA has already explored in new installments.
“We don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas. We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do,” Leslie Benzies, President of Rockstar North told Develop. “We’ll pick the right ones. It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. That then defines the missions; you’re doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami. The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in."
GTA 6's Location Could Be Europe After All
South America and Vice City aren’t the only potential locations that have been suggested. In 2013, Dan Houser said he was interested in exploring London as a possibility.
"I think for us, my gut feeling is, GTA London was cool for the time, but games were more limited then. These days I think we would love to set a game in the UK, set in London, whatever, but I don't know if it would be a GTA game,” he told The Guardian. “I think there are plenty of great stories we could tell about the UK, great environments to showcase, great gameplay mechanics that could have a UK bent to them — I just don't think it would be a GTA necessarily."
GTA 6's Location Likely Won't Be Revealed Soon
Very few details are known about Grand Theft Auto 6, including when Rockstar plans to release the game. What is known is that it likely won’t be on the market for another few years. Some reports suggest it may not be available until 2022, a full two years from now. This, of course, almost assuredly means the game will be available on next-gen consoles (and players can expect the graphics to be extra top-notch).
There is a lot of evidence suggesting Grand Theft Auto 6 will split its time between South America and Vice City, but until Rockstar officially gives confirmation, any information about the game’s setting remains purely speculation.
Sources: Develop, The Guardian (via PC Gamer)