Grand Theft Auto 5

The fifth installment in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series is officially a real thing. And with the first trailer dropping next week, we speculate as to where we think GTA 5 could potentially take place...as well as where it probably won't.

The biggest news this morning is undoubtedly that Rockstar Games' anticipated sequel, Grand Theft Auto V, is officially in the works. And with zero information about the game available, we put our heads together to come up with 3 places GTA V could realistically take place in -- and 3 places it almost certainly won't.

After the return to Liberty City in GTAIV, it only makes sense for the next game to expand on the series' most popular setting: Vice City. The money font in the logo is our society's biggest vice, the Roman Numeral "V" is a natural fit for the title, and we all need an excuse to drive around in a convertible while blasting "I Wear My Sunglass at Night."

Prepare to have your mind blown. Grand Theft Auto V actually gives away its setting in the logo, with the "V" symbol. It's modeled to look like a logo on a United States dollar bill. Moreover, look at the meaning of the "V" -- it's a direct reference to the Five-Dollar Bill, which used to use a Roman numeral before switching to the standard "5" in the 1920s. So, who's the U.S. President on that bill? Abraham Lincoln, whose most famous memorial stands at Washington D.C. -- the same city where U.S. currency is printed, at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It all makes sense. Everything points to Washington D.C.

The "V" shown in the official logo -- which is written in the same font as the United States five-dollar bill -- could denote that the new game takes place in Sin City for obvious reasons (money, it begins with a "V"). But aside from that, we'd jump at the chance to revisit a high-definition version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' fictional version of Las Vegas, "Las Venturas."

We've seen the East Coast and the West Coast; could it be time for the storied franchise to focus on the heartland? Possible missions could include an encounter with a deranged killer and his wood chipper, or the discovery of a downed plane full of drug money. Cameos by Garrison Keillor and Prince!

This unlikely setting for the Gran Theft Auto series dials up the difficulty by a huge amount. Orange County’s incredibly over-resourced and bored stiff police department is just dying for something to happen, and they’ll throw everything they can at you given any excuse. And navigation is even more difficult. Flat as a pancake, and with no discerning features because the mountains in the distance are always obscured by smog, Orange County’s cookie-cutter suburbs consist of blocks featuring the same low-rise beige apartment blocks, family homes and a strip mall with Palmera Bread, Jumby Juice, Starblicks, GFC Chicken and a 24-7 Corner store.

The new GTA V logo is hinting at something. Perhaps it symbolizes a $5 bill in the G-string of the Statue of Liberty. It might also be the first letter of the next fictional location. But don't get ahead of yourself thinking GTA V is going to take place on Venus. That would be a little too out there.