Dan Houser, the co-founder of Rockstar Games and one of the principal writers behind the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, has shed light on a long-standing creative choice that has defined one of gaming’s most recognizable franchises. Speaking with podcaster Lex Fridman, Houser discussed why the Grand Theft Auto series has never revisited settings outside the United States, despite its global reach and earlier experiments.
Houser, who left Rockstar in 2020 after two decades of creative leadership, recalled the studio’s early years and its brief foray into non-American settings with Grand Theft Auto: London 1969. Released as an expansion for the original PlayStation game in 1997, the London pack was an early experiment in extending the GTA formula beyond the United States. “We made a little thing in London 26 years ago,” he said. “That was pretty cute and fun, as the first mission pack ever for PlayStation.”
But the experiment was never repeated. Houser explained that the series’ creative DNA became so tightly intertwined with American culture that future games outside the United States would feel detached from what makes GTA distinct. “We always decided that there was so much Americana inherent in the franchise, it would be really hard to make it work in London or anywhere else,” he said.
For Houser, the essence of GTA lies in its exaggerated portrayal of the American experience – the guns, the freedom, the chaos, and the blend of satire and realism that mirrors the country’s contradictions. “You needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters,” he added. “It just felt like the game was so much about America, possibly from an outsider’s perspective, it wouldn’t really have worked in the same way elsewhere.”
That “outsider’s perspective” is a key part of what gave GTA its edge. Houser, a British writer observing American culture through the lens of pop media, helped shape GTA’s tone as both parody and social commentary. The series became known for its satirical critique of consumerism, corruption, and the pursuit of success — all filtered through the chaos of open-world crime. From the neon excess of Vice City to the urban sprawl of Los Santos, each setting was a distorted reflection of America’s myths and contradictions.
It is a creative approach that many believe could not easily translate to another region. While other franchises like Watch Dogs or Assassin’s Creed have experimented with global settings, Rockstar has remained firmly tied to its American archetype. That decision, as Houser suggests, was not due to a lack of imagination but to a commitment to authenticity. A European or Asian city might provide a new visual backdrop, but the tone, humor, and rhythm of GTA would lose the cultural shorthand that makes it work.
Since Houser’s departure in 2020, Rockstar has evolved without one of its founding storytellers. He went on to establish Absurd Ventures, a new creative studio focused on developing stories across multiple formats. Little is known about its current projects, but the company has teased an ambition to explore worlds that go beyond games alone.
Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto VI is slated for release in May next year for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. The upcoming entry marks more than a decade since GTA V first released and carries expectations that extend beyond technical spectacle. With Houser no longer in the writer’s chair, questions remain about how the series’ voice will evolve.
