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15th August 2023
06:50pm BST
Some Grand Theft Auto fans seem to be concerned that GTA 6 will be ruined by being too "woke."
The gaming series has become famous for its crude humour and extreme violence, and Rockstar Games have used satirical comedy to take aim at pretty much every social group you can think of over the years.
The games are also loved for the way they skewer the consumerism of America and the celebrity culture of Hollywood.
But some fans are worried that Rockstar may decide to reign things in a bid to adhere with so-called 'woke culture.'
The first alarm for these people was when reports emerged that GTA 6 would feature a female protagonist and would be "more culturally sensitive" than its predecessors.
In a post on Reddit, one user shared a meme mocking the 'woke left' and suggesting that not buying the game because it will be more "culturally sensitive" is a rational conclusion.
But another user questioned what all the fuss was about, writing: "I see people complaining about the new upcoming game by RockStar in Facebook and here in reddit for being too woke? And about a first female lead, what wrong with that too?"
Responding to the post, one user explained what the main debate was in the GTA community.
They wrote that things like a Latina female lead and a "concerted effort to not 'punch down' by making jokes about marginalized groups" had lead to some people concluding Rockstar was 'going woke.'
They continued: "Some in this group feel that part of the appeal of the GTA series is that 'it makes fun of everybody' and that the changes are going to turn away series fans in an attempt to appeal to a group that won't buy GTA VI anyways.”
Others agreed that they had no idea what the fuss was about, pointing out that the moment you actually listen to the dialogue of GTA games and their stories, you realise that they've all been 'woke' but that they just were released when there wasn't such a focus on culture wars in society.
Making this very point, one person wrote: “My favourite part about this 'controversy' is that if you spend 5 minutes in GTA V or GTA IV looking at and listening to the in-game culture and commercials and movies and whatnot; they’re all woke as f**k, there just wasn’t that term/the culture wars 10 years ago when 5 came out.”
Rumours continue to swirl about GTA 6 and its release date.
This September will mark the 10-year anniversary since the release of Grand Theft Auto V, and in that full decade since the previous instalment, Rockstar Games have kept themselves somewhat busy between GTA Online and 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2.
Fans have been left waiting for any kind of official announcement regarding GTA VI's release, with the closest to an official release date being a report stating that the game is unlikely to arrive before mid-2024.
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