Rockstar won't rule out a GTA set outside the US

Rockstar isn't ruling it out, and it isn't promising it either. Asked whether the studio ever pictures a GTA set outside America, Nelson said never say never, but there's still so much to do in America.

The interview is by Keza Macdonald, a Guardian journalist who spent a day at Rockstar North's headquarters in Edinburgh. Nelson and senior exec Jennifer Kolbe walked her through Vice City. The account @GTAVI_Countdown shared the quote on X the same day, 11 November.

It's an interview line, not an announcement. Rockstar hasn't said it's working on a GTA set outside the US, and it hasn't named a country or a date.

Nelson recalls staying out in a Miami nightclub until 4am while researching GTA 6. He then drove around a racetrack with a hangover, according to the summary from @GTAVI_Countdown.

The team didn't start with tightly planned routes. Nelson says you first soak up the place, its history and its vibe, and work out where your characters would move. He admits they're always semi-undercover, but a bunch of dorks walking through a scary neighbourhood does stand out.

For perspective, more than 10 years separate those first trips from release, according to The Guardian. That's a long time for a studio in Scotland to learn how to talk about Florida.

Nelson says everyone at Rockstar is an outsider to this version of America. He says it from a studio based in Edinburgh that portrays a country that isn't its own.

That explains his earlier answer: if nobody sees all of America, Rockstar has plenty of material without leaving the country.

For players, the practical message is that the US remains the series' setting. GTA 6 takes place in Leonida, the fictional version of Florida Rockstar has built since those first trips, according to The Guardian.

Vice City is the fictional version of Miami and the centre of what Nelson and Kolbe showed the journalist. If you were hoping for a European or Asian city in a GTA, nothing is announced. The Leonida map is what you get, and the people who roam it are on our page for Jason and Lucia.

Rockstar hasn't said whether it's considering a GTA outside the US, which country it would be, or when. Only the company can clear that up, and the next solid clue is the 19 November 2026 launch, where you'll see how much America fits on one map. If you're buying for launch, check the date, price and editions of GTA 6 first.

Will there be a GTA outside the US?

Rockstar hasn't announced one. Rob Nelson told The Guardian never say never, but there's still so much to do in America.

Where is GTA 6 set?

In Leonida, the fictional version of Florida, with Vice City as the fictional version of Miami, according to The Guardian.

When did the Miami research start?

In 2015, with the first field trips by Rockstar North developers, according to The Guardian.