The "Grand Theft Auto" (GTA) series has long been set in fictional American cities, depicting a societal microcosm interwoven with crime, money, and freedom. Recently, Rockstar Games co-founder and former lead writer Dan Houser explicitly explained the reason on a podcast: GTA is fundamentally "a work about America."
In an interview on the Lex Fridman podcast, Dan Houser recalled that, with the exception of 1999's "Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969," the entire series has consistently remained rooted in American culture.
"We did 'GTA London' 26 years ago; it was a mission pack for PlayStation 1, very fun and experimental," Houser stated. "But if we were to make a full GTA game, we always felt the IP was saturated with American cultural characteristics, and it just wouldn't feel right to place it elsewhere."
He further elaborated that the series cannot depart from the United States because its essence is built upon "Americana."
"You need guns, exaggerated characters, and absurd social phenomena—these things all come from America," he said. "Perhaps it's an outsider's perspective on America, but that is precisely the core of GTA. If you move the story to London or other regions, it simply won't have the same soul."
These remarks also resonate with academic research on GTA's cultural impact. Tore Olsson, a history professor at the University of Tennessee, will launch a course in 2026 titled "GTA and Modern America", exploring how the game shapes perceptions of American society.