'GTA 6' Trailer Sparks Backlash

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) fans have shared their decidedly mixed reviews, after a trailer for the sixth entry in the open-world franchise was unveiled on Monday.

It had been expected that there would be a preview of GTA 6 being unveiled on Tuesday but following a major leak, with a stream of details posted on the internet, the trailer was instead shared online by Rockstar Games one day early.

Anticipation for the next installment in the GTA universe has been great—veritable smash hit Grand Theft Auto V has sold more than 190 million copies since it was released back in 2013. When combined with GTA Online, the franchise stands as the most profitable entertainment product of all time, making more than $7.7 billion to date.

The new GTA 6 trailer, which states that the game won't be released until 2025, will transport players back to the fictional, Miami-inspired setting of Vice City, a landscape last seen in the 2006 release GTA: Vice City Stories.

As the trailer opens, a new protagonist in the form of Lucia—the first female protagonist in an open-world GTA game—is seen donning prison uniform while sitting through what appears to be a parole interview. Lucia shares her screen time with an unnamed male lead, with whom she's seen going on crime sprees.

What follows are the expected fast cars, guns, neon signs, raucous parties and strip clubs. Bringing the universe into the modern day, many of the scenes are portrayed in a TikTok-inspired format, complete with scrolling comments.

However, while fans finally had their thirst for the new game somewhat quenched by the new teaser, a number of detractors expressed their distaste at a woman character being a protagonist—with some accusing the brand of going "woke."

While Lucia holds the distinction of being the first female protagonist in an open-world GTA project, the original game featured four female avatars when it was released back in 1997. However, none of the avatars has personalities or voices.

As well as placing a woman character at the helm, others complained about the racial diversity that appeared to be on display in GTA 6. Some expressed outrage at the lack of white characters in the highly-anticipated trailer.

Sharing screenshots of YouTube comments complaining about these factors, one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Welp… looks like GTA 6 is gonna suck."

"They made GTA 6 woke," one detractor complained, while another commented: "GTA 6 is a scam. Got some new graphics gimmicks, a woke storyline, and 0 improved gameplay. #BanGTA6."

Another took aim at the "violence and vulgarity" previewed in the game, writing: "GTA 6 trailer is a stark reminder of how morally bankrupt our generation is.

"We're so desensitized to violence and vulgarity that we're willing to consume any trash that's thrown our way. It's sad to think of all the young minds that will be corrupted by this game."

Reflecting the ongoing culture wars focused on the LGBTQ+ community, another commenter shared the claim that lead character Lucia is transgender. A number of X users countered this claim by showing that its source was a discussion on Reddit.

Amid the outrage, other gaming fans expressed their excitement at the anticipated arrival of GTA 6—while also mocking those complaining.

"Can't wait to see all the [YouTube] videos, 'GTA 6 GONE WOKE?!'" wrote one X user. "Also, the fact people are like, 'wow, the character seems to [be] written well so far.' When has Rockstar produced a bad main character? Like you don't think could [they] produce a well written female"

"I'm ready for these clowns to see the main protagonist of GTA 6 to be a girl and claim Rockstar Games has gone woke…even though it's gonna have violence just like every other GTA game before it," another wrote. "They can't enjoy anything these days and it's their own fault."

"GTA 6 is for the girls, I'm so happy," said one gaming fan, while another stated: "I'm [going to] cry, one of the main characters for GTA 6 is a girl. I waited so long for this."

Sharing a screenshot from the GTA 6 trailer of a woman in a bikini, another countered the accusations that the franchise has gone "woke," saying: "No this is still the Rockstar we know and love."

"Wait there's grown a** men crying about there being a female protagonist is GTA 6?" another said. "Why be upset you know how many times us girl gamers have played numerous games with male protagonist and we didn't cry about it. GET OVER IT."

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Rockstar Games via email for comment.

Back in June 2021, veteran game leaker Tom Henderson shared several details regarding GTA 6 that have turned out to be accurate, including the female protagonist, the release date, and the latest installment being set in the present day.

While the GTA 6 trailer has fans talking, it's worth remembering that the trailer teased a 2025 release date for the full game.