New Leak Confirms GTA Tokyo Was Once In Development

Expert Verified By

GTA In Japan Would've Been Incredible!

Story Highlights
  • Rockstar has faced a new leak that revealed Bully 2, DLCs for GTA 5, and Midnight Club 5 were canceled.
  • The leak also revealed that GTA Tokyo for PS2 was canceled.
  • GTA Tokyo could have introduced a completely new vibe to Grand Theft Auto, so it can be considered a massive missed opportunity.

With Rockstar finally recovering from last year’s leak and dealing with the person responsible, it faced another trial yesterday. The GTA 5 source code is out in the wild, with the leak revealing that Bully 2 and eight-story DLC packs for GTA 5 were canceled.

These weren’t the only projects that were canceled, however, since GTA Tokyo was canceled before it could become a major project.

Why it matters: Rockstar typically visits a few settings like the atmospheric Liberty City of GTA 4 and the reimagined Vice City of GTA 6. Therefore, a game set in Tokyo would have been a much-needed change for this IP.

Rockstar was working on the Japanese-themed Grand Theft Auto for PS2, providing a new setting for the franchise.

In addition to this project, the studio canceled Midnight Club 5. This cancelation may have marked the end of the series since the developer has left it without any new titles for over 15 years.

Rumors about this Grand Theft Auto project were already floating around as early as 2016. The studio’s latest leak confirms that they were valid, with the project being canceled before an official announcement.

Back then, Rockstar had a very busy schedule. Every few years, the team created a new Grand Theft Auto title while working on spin-offs for the series. Additionally, IPs like Midnight Club were frequently released by the developer.

Still, GTA Tokyo was likely a game brimming with potential. Recently, franchises like Yakuza have shown the potential for open-world style games set in the bustling streets of Japan.

Rockstar could have also dived into the racing and car culture of this setting, making for an intriguing narrative.

That is exactly why we think GTA Tokyo could have been successful. The game would have featured a completely different setting from traditional Rockstar releases, and who doesn’t like Japanese culture?

This could have been the beginning of different cities joining the IP.

Following the GTA 6 reveal, we learned that Vice City is returning. While this setting is full of nostalgia for us and millions of Grand Theft Auto fans, a completely different setting like Tokyo sounds much more appealing to us.

Anyhow, the studio has left this canceled project in the past. Rockstar is now focused on the 2025 release of GTA 6, which is expected to provide around 35 hours of modern Grand Theft Auto mayhem in Vice City.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

GTA 6 Online Aiming To Feature 96 Players Per Server, Report Claims

Rockstar insider Fravilys claims that GTA 6 Online may feature up to 96 players on each server instead of the current 32 limit.

Microsoft Reportedly Killing Xbox One Backward Compatibility With Next-Gen Console

According to an insider, Microsoft is reportedly discontinuing Xbox One backward compatibility with the next-gen console, if it is a PC.

Stalker 2 Heading To PS5 Late 2025; PS5 Pro Enhancements Also Confirmed

Stalker 2 has been officially announced for the PS5 after several months of console exclusivity, with plans to launch the game in Fall 2025.

Ex-Naughty Dog Dev Moving To Japan To Form New Studio After Last of Us Multiplayer Cancelled

Following Last of Us Multiplayer title's cancellation, the game director left Naughty Dog and is moving to Japan to form a new studio.

G.SKILL Launches High-Capacity DDR5 Memory Kits Up to 256GB at DDR5-6000

G.SKILL launches DDR5 memory kits up to 256GB DDR5-6000 CL32 and 128GB DDR5-6400 CL36, optimized for AMD EXPO and Intel XMP platforms.