Grand Theft Auto 6 will have a female protagonist and more inclusive design

Upcoming game in the massively popular GTA series will feature a playable female lead character, according to a Bloomberg report.

New details about GTA 6, an upcoming game from developer Rockstar, were leaked to Bloomberg. The details range from information about the new lead characters and location to the design philosophy following a culture shift at the company.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to Bloomberg, the employees mentioned that one of the two leads will be Latina, and both will have a story influenced by infamous bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde. This comes in stark contrast to previous GTA entries — again, a series mostly about America’s worst foibles. The change in tenor for the newest game matches up with the company change, however.

Grand Theft Auto is a video game series historically known for stealing cars, getting into gang wars, and treating marginalised people as punchlines. From punching prostitutes to making jokes about gay people, GTA has not been a series known for inclusivity. With GTA 6, Rockstar is aiming to steer the ship and avoid “punching down”, according to employees at the company.

Previosly, the GTA series has been dominated by male protagonists, toilet humour and a lack of inclusivity. Picture: Rockstar Games

Rockstar, the studio behind Red Dead Redemption, had a problematic culture full of rowdy behaviour, according to employees who previously worked there. From drinking and fighting, to taking trips to strip clubs on company time, the culture was unmistakably a boys’ club. The company was also well known for “crunch”, a period of time where developers would work extremely long hours just to make deadlines, including nights and weekends.

The crunch strategy has been used in game studios worldwide, and while it has been financially successful, the toll it takes on employees is extreme. Many employees suffered from burnout, causing them to leave the field of game development entirely. These “death marches”, which is slang for the months-long required 14-hour workdays and weekends, put extreme stress on employees.

That culture is apparently gone. From a current employee: “It’s a boys’ club transformed into a real company.” Employees report a happier, healthier company, with new policies that help with retention. It does have a side effect, however — the development time for GTA 6 has taken longer than anticipated, with developers unsure if the game will release in 2023 or 2024.

Original reporting by Bloomberg.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.