GTA 6 to reportedly feature series' first female protagonist as Rockstar overhauls workplace culture

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Developers believe the studio has changed for the better

A female protagonist looks away from a car
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Grand Theft Auto 6 will have a female Latina protagonist due to Rockstar's in-house culture changes, it's been reported.

The report comes from Bloomberg, and you can see mention of the brand new protagonist for GTA 6 in the tweet just below from reporter Jason Schreier. The report, citing anonymous current and former developers at Rockstar, reveals that GTA 6 will have a female protagonist for the first time in the series' history.

This is apparently a result of the culture changes at Rockstar, first initiated in 2018 after numerous developers called out management over crunch culture and bullying. According to the new report, Rockstar has genuinely worked hard to turn things around, and many developers cited in the report believe things have changed for the better.

As a result, Rockstar is now more thoughtful with its development, it's claimed. For example, a Cops N' Crooks mode for GTA Online was shelved after the shooting of George Floyd in 2020, a conscious decision by Rockstar. This, in turn, has led to the new Latina protagonist for GTA 6, who will be one of a pair of female stars inspired by Bonnie and Clyde.

The report also states that the development of GTA 6 has been slower than expected. This is apparently due to the pandemic and because Rockstar has shifted away from its crunch culture, allowing developers more time to work on features for the new game, thus extending the overall development time. In the report, there's a great sense that things have changed for the better at Rockstar, and the developers that Bloomberg spoke to were optimistic for the future.

Elsewhere in the report, we learn that GTA 6 will be based in a fictional version of Miami and its surrounding areas. While we don't know when the upcoming crime game will release, it's could be two years away at least. 

Rockstar previously said GTA 6 needs to be the "best it can possibly be."

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.