Rockstar Confirms GTA 6 Will Not Directly Tackle Trump or COVID-19 Themes

Rockstar Games has a reputation for delivering sharp and often irreverent satire in its Grand Theft Auto series. With a 13-year gap between Grand Theft Auto 5 and the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, there’s a wealth of American culture ripe for exploration. However, recent previews indicate that certain topics will be off-limits in the new game. Specifically, it won’t tackle Donald Trump’s political ascent or the COVID-19 pandemic directly.

This decision may please many fans, as the series typically offers a fantastical escape that mirrors a warped version of reality. Yet, Rockstar has additional reasons for avoiding real-world historical events.

Rob Nelson, head of Rockstar North, explained the studio’s perspective: “We run the risk of dating ourselves in a sort of awkward way. So we have to look at things and go, what is going to have a timeless sort of quality that will speak very easily to relatable human folly and foibles and will be remembered as part of this time?”

While direct references to Trump and the pandemic are off the table, it seems Rockstar might still hint at the rise of conspiracy theories in today’s culture, providing a subtle nod to current events.

In another preview, Nelson elaborated on the studio’s approach to satire: “Because we work on such a long development cycle, we have to not jump on stuff and instead choose our angle of approach carefully and decide what things are going to be a bit more timeless. We’re not a TV show coming out every week or every month. We have to be careful that what we’re choosing to satirize is not going to feel dated in a weird way. I think those broader things are OK to satirize, but very specific political issues or memes will date fast.”

Previous trailers for Grand Theft Auto 6 have included nods to popular memes, such as a reference to the “Florida Joker” and some viral TikTok moments.

Nelson also stressed the importance of keeping the game feeling “timeless,” even steering clear of contemporary slang to avoid any sense of obsolescence.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.