Report: Grand Theft Auto 6 Co-Stars A Female Protagonist, Rockstar Adopts More Progressive Studio Culture

Bloomberg posted a new report about Grand Theft Auto 6’s development, based on sources close to or within Rockstar Games. Details include how the improved studio culture has affected Grand Theft Auto 6’s design. This includes its writing and tone. 

GTA 6, which Rockstar confirmed was in active development in February, will reportedly star two playable bank robbers in a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired tale, and the female protagonist, a first for the series, will be Latina. It is set in Miami, a fictionalized modern city, and the surrounding area, marking a return of Vice City. The game, despite being only set in one city, is believed to have more interior locations that any GTA game. However, GTA 6 will be updated regularly by the studio to include new missions and more cities. Bloomberg reports that GTA 6 may arrive sometime before March 2024. However, sources tell the publication that some developers within Rockstar are skeptical that the game will hit that timeframe.  

GTA 6 was originally codenamed Project Americas, and the project has been underway since 2014. However, development proceeded slower than usual, partly due to Rockstar’s desire to adopt healthier work schedules to avoid crunch, especially in the wake of workplace abuse reports that arose during Red Dead Redemption 2’s development. Rockstar has implemented policies to convert contractors to employees full time, hire more producers to lower workloads, improve mental health benefits and eliminate problematic staff. This has been reported to have led to a rise in studio morale. 

Grand Theft Auto Online

This is part of an overall, progressive restructuring that the studio has undertaken to erase all references to it. Bloomberg It is a type of culture known as “boy’s club”. The content of the games has been reportedly affected by this reframing, particularly in light of American culture over the last few years. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser spoke in 2018 about the challenges of lampooning the distressing absurdity of modern America. Bloomberg reports that Rockstar has reexamined the type of writing and humor it’s criticized for in the past to be more culturally sensitive. That includes avoiding misogynistic portrayals of women and jokes that ridicule marginalized communities. 

Bloomberg’sThis story is an example of the new mentality. Rockstar was the one who had created a Cops and Robbers-inspired team mode called Cops’n’ Crooks for GTA Online. However, the studio decided to shelve this mode in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a police officer and has not made plans to release it since. 

These reports suggest that Grand Theft Auto 6 could be quite different from previous entries in terms of tone. It is clear that Dan Houser’s departure in 2020 had an effect on Grand Theft Auto 6, and we will be interested to see the GTA without Houser’s narrative touch or perhaps less. Rockstar is adamant about achieving a better work-life balance. These changes will have an impact on the highly anticipated game, and studio’s future. 

[Source: Bloomberg]