What Is GTA VI?
The title is pretty self-explanatory. Grand Theft Auto is a video game that allows the player to explore a crime-ridden community while performing criminal tasks and wreaking havoc, like stealing cars, evading police, and getting into shootouts. You can even steal a helicopter and make it your ride if you’d like.
Source: Rockstar Games via YouTube
While the game has a story, most players gravitate toward the open-world aspect of the game. At this moment, fans already knew a bit about what to expect from the world of Vice City and the Bonnie-and-Clyde storyline, thanks to a leaked video of gameplay from Arion Kurtaj in 2022, and an accidental leak of the game map that supposedly came from a Rockstar employee’s kid.
The Controversy Already Around GTA VI
With Lucia becoming the first female protagonist in “GTA,” her presence sparked early speculation that the video game, which is known for its edgy tone, had gone “woke.”
Source: Rockstar Games
It didn’t help that “anti-woke” commentators grew more anxious after reports came out that Rockstar Games was making sure that the humor in GTA VI didn’t “punch down” on marginalized groups.
Outrage Toward GTA’s Female Protagonist
Some tried to cultivate outrage against Lucia about her looks, with some expressing suspicion that she is secretly a trans woman. The trailer makes it easy to see why the backlash against Lucia failed. The character is traditionally attractive. It also helps that she commits many crimes to push the story forward.
Source: Rockstar Games via YouTube
This type of outrage against playable female characters is not uncommon. When Naughty Dog released “The Last of Us: Part II,” the sequel to the mega-successful “The Last of Us,” reactions ranged from disappointment to demands for refunds to unhinged death threats and a series of multi-phobic slurs targeted at the game developers, actors, and journalists reporting on the game.
Who Has Criticized GTA, and Why?
Controversy has always existed around the “GTA” video game franchise because it seemed to promote violence and disorder. Complaints about the amount of crime in “GTA” came from unexpected sources this time around.
Source: Anything Goes With James English/Wikimedia Commons
Self-described “misogynist” Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, criticize the game’s morals. (Both of the Tate brothers have officially been charged with multiple crimes, including human trafficking.) Elon Musk commented that he didn’t enjoy playing the “GTA” franchise because he “didn’t like doing crime,” and that he “just couldn’t do it” even to NPCs (via Forbes).
GTA Has Always Been a 'Dangerous' Game
“GTA” was never supposed to be a game for everyone, which is why it is rated R. The game, which introduced paranoia in parents that video games make children violent, was once a source to point to when violence takes over the public consciousness.
Source: Rockstar Games via YouTube
Unfortunately, the internet is plagued with “dangerous” content, making video games like “GTA VI” look tame in comparison. Spend five minutes on YouTube shorts, Roblox, or TikTok and you will see almost everything that is included in “GTA” and more. “GTA” is just a safe recreation of a world already on fire that allows people to play out their aggression in a controlled environment.
The GTA VI Trailer Is Already Replicating the Real World
It’s common for the “GTA” franchise to recreate iconic moments from the real world. Funny enough, the “GTA VI” trailer showcases the bizarreness that seems to be affiliated with Florida. Florida has developed a reputation largely due to social media and Sunshine Laws, which make it easy for journalists to access police reports and other public records.
Source: Rockstar Games via YouTube
Florida is known for its unusual events, and it has led to some of the most viral moments on the internet. “GTA VI” highlighted some of the internet’s favorite moments in its trailer. Let’s take a look at the homages made to real-life Florida events.
An Alligator Goes For a Swim
Alligators are common in Florida (you can even see them on the side of the highways), and you would never expect to see an alligator in a swimming pool. While the bizarre moment makes an appearance in the “GTA VI” trailer, this was a real news story that dominated headlines for a hot minute.
Source: Rockstar Games/Perfect Score via YouTube
In 2019, a Florida man captured a video of police working to remove a large alligator found in his backyard swimming pool. The alligator, which the Florida man estimated to weigh around 300 pounds, was eventually dragged out of the pool. Funny enough, alligators in pools seem to be a common occurrence in Florida, which is probably why most people tend to build a screen or fence around their yard.
Florida Woman Dancing on a Car
In the “GTA VI” trailer, there is a clip of a woman twerking on top of a car in the middle of the highway. After the game trailer dropped, a man shared real footage of a woman twerking on top of a car “to confirm ‘GTA VI’ is accurate” (via LAD Bible).
Source: Rockstar Games/Perfect Score via YouTube
The video showed a Florida woman who was later arrested in 2016 after reports came in that she was listening to loud rap music while twerking in a vehicle (via Alligator). A noise complaint had been filed after the music had been blasting for almost half an hour. Police had issued the woman a noise-warning notice, giving her 15 minutes to comply, but she started dancing again and was arrested.
Let’s Go Mudding
In the trailer, there is a shot of a woman covered in mud giving the “rock out” gesture to the camera. While this shot looks confusing out of context, she just went mudding, a common activity that many people do after it rains.
Source: Rockstar Games/ Perfect Score via YouTube
Mudding is an activity where people drive an off-road vehicle, such as an ATV or SUV, through muddy terrain. It normally is an activity that involves intentionally getting the vehicle stuck in mud and trying to get it out. Falling in mud is part of the fun!
A Man Without Clothes Doing … Well, Anything
Florida gets hot, so it isn’t surprising to Floridians to see people strip down into swimsuits to do normal activities. However, some people don’t stop there and will strip down to their birthday suits. In “GTA VI,” we see two instances of this happening: Someone watering their yard and a streaker running away from the police in front of a gas station.
Source: Rockstar games/ Perfect Score via YouTube
Both of these instances have happened in Florida multiple times. Earlier this year, a Florida man was arrested after taking deputies on a high-speed chase that ended with a hit-and-run crash. The chase didn’t end there. The man then took off on foot, nearly naked, until authorities were able to arrest him. As for the naked man watering his yard, well, Florida officials say there is nothing wrong with that.
A Woman with Two Hammers
Probably one of the most bizarre quick videos shown in the “GTA VI” trailer was the one with a woman holding two hammers. Already dubbed “Hammer Lady,” fans are obsessed with the NPC which is based on a viral video.
Source: Rockstar games/Edy Perez via TikTok
In June 2020, Miami-based Edy Perez uploaded a video he took after a local woman began attacking his car with hammers. She ended up confronting him, throwing racial and xenophobic slurs at him in an attempt to make him leave her neighborhood. While Perez filmed the video in Los Angeles, the Devs have taken inspiration and placed Hammer Lady in Vice City.
When Is GTA VI Releasing?
The “GTA VI” viral trailer was released earlier than expected due to leaks. “GTA VI” isn’t landing on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S until sometime in 2025, which means we have a lot of time to speculate about what other iconic Floridian moments might be included in the gameplay.
Source: Rockstar Game
With stellar graphics, an interesting story plot, and a slew of already iconic NPC characters, “GTA VI” promises to bring in a new era of gamers to the lawless land of Vice City.