Players wonder if GTA VI will move away from controversial themes
Changes in the Rockstar creative team have led to speculation that the upcoming video game may adopt a less provocative tone.
Analysts and players are questioning whether the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series will shift into less controversial territory ahead of the November 19 release of GTA VI, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
The series has historically mocked US capitalist society through extreme stereotypes and social critique. However, recent marketing for the new instalment appears to focus on the Bonnie-and-Clyde-style protagonists surviving in a fictionalised Miami.
Chris Klippel, founder of Rockstar Mag, noted that three of the five writers from GTA V have left the studio, including co-founder Dan Houser. Klippel said this change inevitably raises concerns.
Olivier Mauco, author of the book "GTA IV, the Dark Side of the American Dream", observed that recent presentations of the new game have put the franchise's political incorrectness much less front and centre.
Expert Christopher Dring of The Game Business predicted that instead of direct political attacks, the new game might offer a critical look at culture and society, such as the omnipresence of social media.
Dring stated that the series has always managed to find a balance between providing escapism and poking fun at modern world problems.