Grand Theft Auto first hit store shelves in 1997. The series really made a big splash in 2001 with GTA III. The first 3D entry was a revolution in game design and flew off store shelves like it was going out of fashion. Thankfully, it wasn't a fad, and each proceeding title was a massive hit.
The latest entry in the series is Grand Theft Auto V. The 2013 entry puts players in the shoes of three different protagonists whose paths intertwine. Along with a massive story mode filled with over sixty missions, there was also a robust online component. GTA Online had a rocky start, but eventually found its footing and still maintains a loyal player base almost six years after release.
As phenomenal as GTA V is, it has been more than half a decade since it came out, and fans are eager for Rockstar's next foray into the zany open-world franchise. The studio is notoriously hush-hush on their upcoming projects, so while work has certainly started on it, details are sparse. That can't stop people from speculating, though.
In that spirit, the next ten entries will ponder possible settings for Grand Theft Auto VI. Some of them will be familiar locales, while others would be entirely new to the series, but contain a rich enough history of organized crime to make a compelling GTA setting.
10 Liberty City
GTA III chose Liberty City to usher in the 3D generation. They revisited the New York-inspired locale for GTA IV because they were bringing the city into the HD era. These days, graphics technology has yet again taken new leaps and bounds.
With the advent of 4K and ray tracing, there's no better time to revisit the setting with the new advancements. The location itself contains varied inhabitants from all different backgrounds, making potentially all sorts of stories feasible.
9 Chicago In The 1930s
The series is no stranger to going back in time, but the 1980s is the furthest they've gone. There are times further back in American history that are ripe for a GTA interpretation. The company has made games set in the old west, so why not push the clock back a tad further to 1930's Chicago?
The prohibition era was brimming with bootleggers and all the crime associated with the trade would make for entertaining missions. A lot could be done with the number of heinous acts committed in the name of a product everybody now freely uses with no consequence (save for when they consume too much).
8 Los Santos
Doing Los Santos twice in a row wouldn't be the smartest idea, but modern gaming technology opens up a plethora of possibilities that were only dreams in 2013.
Remember, GTA V is still a last generation game. The re-release made everything a lot prettier but wasn't a true current gen title. While Los Santos would not be our first pick, there are worse places to revisit.
7 South Or Central America
The games have so far been set exclusively in the United States, except for the first game's expansions, London 1968 and London 1961. With Max Payne 3, Rockstar has already crafted a detailed São Paulo for the disgraced detective, so why not take it a step further and make a whole open world set in South America?
Grand Theft Auto has always been associated with the United States, so such a location may be more fitting for an expansion pack or a handful of missions rather than the main setting of the next game. Nevertheless, Rockstar may surprise us.
6 Hong Kong
Hong Kong cinema offers a plethora of stunning crime films, from the fast-paced gunplay of John Woo to tense dramas like City on Fire. If the Housers took their next game that far east, there would be plenty of cinematic influences to draw from.
Sleeping Dogs already created an open world set in the city, but that game is vastly different from a GTA title. Still, it proves that it is at least possible.
5 London
It is possibly surprising to learn, considering their games almost exclusively deal with American culture, but the Housers are Englishmen. It would be logical for the next title in the series to take place in their home country's capital city, then.
Rockstar could take a few cues from early Guy Ritchie films and older crime dramas like Get Carter. They'd have to tread carefully to avoid comparisons to The Getaway, however.
4 Tokyo
The Japanese city is full of things to do, sights to see, and a seedy organized crime underbelly. This organization has been thoroughly explored in gaming with the Yakuza series, but that game doesn't offer the same experience as GTA.
Yakuza films, like those by Takeshi Kitano, are some of the best movies ever made, and a narrative inspired by those could be gripping.
3 Washington, D.C.
Not necessarily Washington DC, like in The Division 2, but a fictional equivalent would be an interesting location. The capital city of any country is chock full of corruption, crime, and legal actions that are arguably worse than crimes.
Instead of doing missions for crime syndicates, the protagonist might work for greedy politicians or maybe even the president. What once made GTA so controversial is now considered tame, but this idea might make America angry again.
2 Post-Soviet Union Eastern Europe
After the Soviet Union disbanded, organized crime swept up Russia and the other post-Soviet nations. The less fortunate ones ended up in armed conflicts. It was a dark time for many of the countries and would be ripe for a darker GTA tale.
While not a part of The USSR, they could also include the Balkan peninsula, which would be perfect for a Niko Bellic cameo.
1 Vice City
2003's Vice City dodged criticism about the series' half baked satire because of how faithful it is to the 1980's setting. Right from the get-go, it is clear the Housers hold a deep reverence for the decade. The title, despite having some rough edges by today's standards, it still considered one of the series' best by many.
It'll soon be the game's sixteenth anniversary, so gamers are long overdue for a revisit to the fictional Floridian city. They could also expand the setting by including Cuba or Central America.