A player has recently noticed that Rockstar Games has edited out the Grand Theft Auto V next gen versions transphobic content.
Some LGBTQ+ groups and press have been putting pressure on the developers recently to remove or make changes to GTAV content that would look transphobic. One of such were the trans women character models in-game, which were particularly awkward to look at due to the over-the-top design. It seems Rockstar Games has finally given in and made changes in the next gen versions.
Redditor JayProspero noticed (via arstechnica) in the office wall in the in-game arcade that the action figures have changed. Before, there was this Captain Spacetoy figure that had a box with big highlights of interchangeable genitalia. This was now removed in the Grand Theft Auto V next gen versions. There is now a different figure posed on the wall with a rather reserved outfit now, but still has a weird feature that seems harmless.
Twitter user Kirsty Cloud also noticed a major change in the next-gen versions. Apparently, the trans women that appeared outside Cockatoos are no more. They can still be accessed via the game’s sandbox-style Director Mode, but the dialogue options that had transphobic content is now gone.
No word from Rockstar Games regarding these big changes, but it seems the pressure from the press and some LGBTQ+ have worked. One of these groups is the Out Making Games, a group of hundreds of LGBTQ+ game professionals that are working in the UK industry.
Grand Theft Auto V latest platforms are on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is also available on several other platforms like PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.