The next version of Grand Theft Auto VI will feel very different from its predecessor, and that’s intentional according to Rockstar Games. The company says they are evolving, and it all began after George Floyd was killed in the summer of 2020, and Rockstar secretly decided not to publish a mode of play for its Grand Theft Auto Online game.
That variation on the videogame allowed players to form teams of good men and bad guys, the Cops ‘n’ Crooks mode appeared tone-deaf to some during the global debate over police brutality. Senior executives set the story aside out of worry for how it may be seen at a time when there was growing mistrust of American police. People acquainted with the project claim that no plans have been made to bring it back.
Now the New York Post reports the videogame developer is going even further
The next installment of the “Grand Theft Auto” video-game series will have the series’ first ever female protagonist and aims to scale back its use of offensive humor — particularly jokes aimed at minority groups, according to a report.
The female, Latina protagonist of Grand Theft Auto VI will be part of a duo of main characters inspired by “Bonnie and Clyde,” Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
The game will take place in a fictionalized version of Miami and South Florida, according to the report. The last Grand Theft Auto game to take place in a fictionalized Miami was 2002’s “Vice City.”
Grand Theft Auto VI’s developers, Rockstar Games, are also reportedly abandoning the series’ record of making crude, potentially offensive jokes about minority groups. The developers are being “cautious” to not “punch down” at the expense of such groups, according to the report.
The Grand Theft Auto games have never been politically correct, making fun of almost everyone, as YellowFlash mentioned in his latest video on the news:
These actions appear out of character for a firm whose best-selling series is a satirical portrayal of America where players play gangsters who murder bystanders and where women are mostly portrayed as sex objects. In actuality, Grand Theft Auto V was a nihilistic parody that made fun of everyone and everything, from liberal politicians to right-wing radio DJs. It’s been reported that the culture was also largely the same within the organization. Employees of Rockstar have frequently spoken of a drinking, fighting, and going to strip clubs as part of their work culture.
The Post goes on to say:
Grand Theft Auto VI’s release is at least two years away — and two Rockstar Games employees quit the company’s Edinburgh office due to frustrations about the game’s slow development, according to Bloomberg.
The game’s slow progress is partially due to changes that Rockstar Games implemented to improve employees’ working conditions after reports emerged of excessively long working hours and a “frat boy” culture, according to Bloomberg.
But that’s not even the worst of it. Players can effectively say good-bye to fully fleshed out Single Player mode in GTA. This game looks to be an online only multi-player game. Rockstar’s plan appears to be to continually update the game over time, adding new missions and cities on a regular basis, which leadership hopes will lead to less crunch during the game’s final months.”
And with the loss of the raunchy, satirical over the top content integral to GTA games, the writing, humor, and magic of previous GTA games will be gone. Players can expect an open world with, at best, a generic single player campaign that plays it safe and all other resources and effort will be put into monetization for an online DLC or the game as a new subscription service.
What do you think of this kinder, gentler Rockstar Games approach to Grand Theft Auto?
