Grand Theft Auto fans are eager to explore London

The research analysed online forums where fans have discussed the cities they would be most keen to see created by Rockstar Games. Over 82,000 comments on Reddit were scanned for mentions of cities that gamers want to visit in future Grand Theft Auto releases.

London is revealed as the third-most mentioned city, and the first outside of the United States to make the top ten. The English capital city made it into GTA in 1999, in an expansion pack of the first Grand Theft Auto game, but has not returned since. Having been the only city outside of the U.S. to make it to a GTA game thus far, it is perhaps the favourite to make it again, London popped up 277 times in the study, beaten only by Miami and Chicago.

Miami, Florida, already revealed as the setting for the next iteration of Grand Theft Auto, is the city that most fans put forward as their desired in-game location. Vice City, Rockstar Games’ fictional version of the Magic City, has already appeared as a main location in three GTA titles and was the titular city for the franchise's 2002 release. With over 3,000 comments casting votes for specific cities, Miami received the most mentions in the Reddit threads, with 599.

Chicago, Illinois, is the second-most mentioned city that GTA fans wish to explore. Although the game franchise has never visited the Windy City, it received 291 mentions from GTA fans on Reddit.

In fourth place, Tokyo, Japan, follows London as the second-most desired international city on GTA fans’ radars. The bustling East Asian capital city received as many as 188 Reddit mentions by fans discussing the cities they would like in the game.

Fifth-placed New York City has already appeared in nine Grand Theft Auto games. The city’s fictional depiction, Liberty City, is not favorably portrayed in previous GTA renditions, but is great for in-game exploration and was mentioned 116 times by Redditors.

Never before seen in the GTA universe, Detroit, Michigan, is the sixth-most mentioned city. 96 Reddit mentions of the Michigan city were found in those suggesting future Grand Theft Auto locations.

New Orleans, Louisiana, ranks seventh with 83 Reddit comments mentioning the Louisiana city. Atlanta, Georgia, follows in eighth with 82 comments raising Georgia’s capital city as a place for GTA to explore.

Two further Floridian cities round out the top ten cities GTA fans want to see in-game. With next year’s GTA VI based in Vice City and the game’s expected enormous map, perhaps they will both be recreated. Orlando was mentioned 63 times in Reddit comments regarding future GTA cities, while Tampa was mentioned 58 times.

Matt Gibbs, director of GTA BOOM, commented on the findings: “Rockstar Games appears to have made the right move in returning to Vice City, or Miami, for GTA VI. Fans who have raised it as their favored location to see in the game are set to be pleased by the 2025 release. With LA having been so thoroughly played in the ten years since GTA V, it’s no surprise Los Santos doesn’t make the top cities.

“It’s interesting to see other Florida cities making the cut, and with the scope there is to expand the size of the GTA VI map beyond anything we’ve seen before from Rockstar, whether that be in GTA or Red Dead Redemption, there’s surely a possibility of Tampa and Orlando being depicted within it. London and Tokyo also received a huge share of votes, so it’s clear that many wish to see a more international GTA game soon. Perhaps this is something we could expect for GTA VII, should it be released in the future.”