Rockstar focuses on a "neutro" narrative approach for GTA VI, avoiding direct references to reality

Less than a month after the launch, Rockstar Games outlined the narrative strategy of GTA VI, stating that the game will avoid too specific references to facts or real people. The decision was explained by Rupert Humphries, senior vice president of narrative of the studio, along with co-responsibles of Rockstar North Rob Nelson and Aaron Garbut, in an interview published by Love Magazine. The goal is to create a contemporary experience but not directly linked to the news, to prevent the game from losing relevance in the short term. According to Humphries, the GTA series has always avoided a satire based on American national policy, except for GTA 4, in which the then recent Patriot Act and the birth of the Department of Homeland Security had a significant narrative weight, although being rooted in the specific context of New York after September 11. “We want games that look tied to the moment they go out, but that they don’t exactly reflect the world we live in,” said the manager. To achieve this, the study will avoid focusing on individual figures, events or movements, preferring to build a credible universe through characters and cultural wars. The research conducted in Florida, the inspiring state of the Leonida of the game, led Humphries to create a world populated by individuals and cultural conflicts that ensure its veracity without resorting to easily recognizable caricatures. Politics will enter the stage through secondary channels: electoral billboards, automatic campaign calls, radio spots and debate programs broadcast by virtual broadcasters – one of the typical tools of the series to comment on current events. Basically, Rockstar strives to amplify an aspect of a theme to the absurd, rather than faithfully replicate real events. This does not imply a renunciation to address delicate topics, as demonstrated by GTA 5 with its representation of torture and secret detention sites, but rather the application of a filter in the construction of the original characters. The release is scheduled for 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while the PC version still has a release date. The estimates on the launch include figures of up to $5.2 billion, adding to the 200 million copies distributed by GTA 5.

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