GTA 6 and clarifying the big woke worries as Rockstar prepares to show off trailer
GTA 6's first trailer will be shown off by Rockstar Games this month
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Many people are looking forward to this December due to Christmas and New Year being on the horizon.
In the gaming world, however, they're looking ahead to the month for a very different reason.
Rockstar Games nearly broke the internet last month when they confirmed that, a decade on from the release of Grand Theft Auto V, another instalment was finally coming.
What's more, fans are set to get their first glimpse of the game this month when a trailer drops.
GTA 6 will likely shatter the records held by predecessor GTA V
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"Next month marks the 25th anniversary of Rockstar Games," they said.
"Thanks to the incredible support of our players worldwide, we have had the opportunity to create games we are truly passionate about.
"Without you, none of this would be possible, and we are so grateful to all of you for sharing this journey with us.
"In 1998, Rockstar Games was founded on the idea that video games could come to be as essential to culture as any other form of entertainment, and we hope that we have created games you love in our efforts to be part of that evolution.
"We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto.
"We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with all of you."
There's a reason so many fans love GTA.
One is due to the obvious violence. For some, getting in and unwinding by going on a fictional crime spree can be soothing.
Others like being able to drive any car, fly any helicopter or steer any submarine they choose.
Another thing that makes the game popular is the setting. Whether it's the sunny Los Santos or gritty Liberty City, Rockstar have always created some of the best worlds in gaming.
But what really has set GTA apart is it's ability to satirise the world we live in.
The big problem for Rockstar is, however, that the world has changed an awful lot since their last title came out a decade ago.
Rockstar themselves appear to have started to tone certain things down.
They removed transphobic jokes from the recent re-release of GTA V, which came out for modern consoles earlier in the year.
Rockstar have also said they do not want to 'punch down' by making jokes about marginalised groups.
And if rumours and leaks are to be believed, a female protagonist is coming to the series for the very first time.
Some fans, therefore, are worried the game will be 'woke'.
Even former Rockstar chief Dan Houser admitted in 2018 that, with the world changing, it was difficult to make another GTA in the same way.
"It’s really unclear what we would even do with [GTA 6], let alone how upset people would get with whatever we did," said Houser, who has since left the company.
"Both intense liberal progression and intense conservatism are both very militant, and very angry.
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GTA 6 fans are worried Rockstar will tone down the game - but it's understandable and in keeping with the modern world
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"It is scary but it’s also strange, and yet both of them seem occasionally to veer towards the absurd.
"It’s hard to satirise for those reasons. Some of the stuff you see is straightforwardly beyond satire.
"It would be out of date within two minutes, everything is changing so fast."
Fans needn't be concerned, however.
Transphobic jokes and digs at marginalised groups won't be missed and have never been what makes GTA the juggernaut it is.
GTA 6 is coming and is set to be a hit regardless of whether it's 'woke' or not
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Instead, it has been Rockstar's willingness to mock modern America, to grant players freedom, to innovate and improve with each and every release.
Sure, GTA 6 is likely to be different to anything that's come before it.
But that's no bad thing and fans need not worry.
If history is anything to go by, they're in for a treat. GTA 6 will break records - and changing a few things won't hamper that.