Grand Theft Auto VI has no release date yet, but some of the first details reported seem to indicate a change of direction for developer Rockstar – and the franchise in general. Not only is GTA 6 reportedly going to feature a woman as one of the leads for the first time, Bloomberg is reporting she will be a Latina and star alongside another character in a story influenced by Bonnie and Clyde.
The news comes amidst an attempt by Rockstar Games to clean up its image, particularly amongst reports that the company, famous for a game that is meant to be a satire of American life, had some of the same problems the game depicted. It’s hard to believe a video game that makes jokes about the most vulnerable and constantly leans on stereotypes is meant to be critical of society when the employees behind it are behaving in much the same way as the characters, after all.
Rockstar is, of course, not alone in these issues, which are a widespread problem in the gaming industry. But with the pandemic forcing companies to reexamine their workplace culture and social changes requiring developers to pay more attention to the way entertainment, in general, depicts women, the LGBTQ+ community, and minorities, a game like Grand Theft Auto VI is sure to be scrutinized for any issues the moment it’s released.
A new Latina lead is a promising start, but there’s still a lot more that Rockstar Games needs to do with GTA, in particular, to make sure the game they’re releasing – which is expected to be at least a couple of years away – fits with the times. But the Bloomberg report seems to indicate the developers are aware of the issues and consciously trying to avoid making jokes at the expense of marginalized groups.
Let us hope that is the case, or GTA VI will become one of those games you can only play from within a bubble of privilege, drastically reducing its reach.