GTA 6 Will Reportedly Feature Female Protagonist
It's another day, another wild Grand Theft Auto 6 rumour. While most GTA rumours have turned out to be less trustworthy than Trevor Phillips himself, the latest one is a doozy that could be a major coup for Rockstar Games' next entry.
As GTA V continues its jaw-dropping monopoly on the gaming world, fans are demanding to know more about what's next. Alongside the release of GTA Online's Cayo Perico Heist as a potential clue, and continued speculation we'll be getting a Vice City sequel, fresh reports claim GTA 6 will have a female main character for the first time ever.
Since 1997, Rockstar has continued to deliver colourful and complicated protagonists. From GTA III's Claude to San Andreas' CJ, Vice City's Tommy Vercetti to GTA V's holy trifecta of Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, we've seen them all. Still, in all these years, we've never had a female main character ruling the roost. Yes, there were playable women in the first GTA, but they were silent and underdeveloped additions that were basically just stock characters.
All too often, GTA has reduced its female characters to street-walking prostitutes who get the living snot beaten out of them. So, isn't it about time we moved with the times and had a woman's touch?
Will GTA 6 have a female protagonist?
According to Tom Henderson - CEO and owner of Viral Junkies - GTA 6 will break new ground with a female protagonist. Although the games have been diverse in terms of race and class over the years, there's been a distinct lack of female representation. Well, at least in a positive light. Henderson doesn't reveal his source, however, claims there will be a female and male protagonist. He doesn't have any more details, but similar to how GTA V split the story into three main character arcs, the next game could do the same.
When pressed on whether he was referring to that massive "Project Americas" leak that was called out as being false, Henderson simply replied "nope", meaning this is new information. Even though Henderson is usually on it with his Call of Duty leaks, he's definitely sticking his neck out with this one.
First and foremost, we need to emphasise that the rumours should be taken with a massive pinch (if not mound) of salt. We're no stranger to GTA 6 rumours, and let's remember the recent tease of a massive Vice City-inspired map for GTA 6 was quickly debunked. It's baffling, but you also need to bear in mind that Rockstar hasn't even officially announced GTA 6 yet. If there is going to be a female protagonist, we're probably a very long way off being given the official nod.
Should GTA 6 have a female protagonist?
Unfortunately, a quick Google of female GTA characters mainly comes up with articles about how to make the "prettiest" one in GTA Online - hardly equality of the sexes here. In general, Rockstar's long-running franchise has repeatedly come under fire for its depiction of women in video games. As the industry continues to boom and women make up a large proportion of those playing video games, the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Forbidden West as paving the way. It's also no coincidence that other big hitters including Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077 let you chose your gender.
For the time being, we're left on tenterhooks and scouring the internet to try and decipher what is and isn't real when it comes to GTA 6. In the meantime, there's a remastered version of GTA V coming to next-gen consoles in 2021. With the new and improved game, Rockstar has promised it's more than just some updated graphics. Considering there's more content on the way, players are hopeful the next-gen GTA V could come alongside official confirmation GTA 6 is in the works, or possibly even include a tease to its successor. Either way, it sounds like it could be a battle of the video game sexes.
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