GTA Online is quietly removing some content that has been criticized for being transphobic
Rockstar Games reportedly removed content from the next-gen version of GTA 5 as well as GTA Online. This content was criticized for being transphobic in 2021. There is no statement from Rockstar yet.
What content did the developers remove? According to Reddit user u/JayProspero, the removed content includes a “Captain Spacetoy” action figure.
The action figure was considered a hoax at the expense of trans women, as this variant features Captain Spacetoy wearing a pink dress, high heels and makeup, and includes the words “interchangeable genitalia.”
An NPC spawn has also been disabled: In addition to the action figure, Rockstar Games also removed NPCs referred to as “Drag Queens” in GTA 5’s Director Mode. Said NPCs had, among other things, voicelines that informed the player that they were taking hormones.
The NPCs marked as “transvestites” in the game files are currently still available in director mode, but the developers have already removed their voicelines. Furthermore, the spawn of these NPCs on the open map in front of the “Cockatoos” is disabled.
What is the background? In September 2021, a British group of LGTBQ+ developers “Out Making Games” asked Rockstar to reconsider exactly this content for the new edition of GTA 5 as a “Next-Gen Edition” (via gamesindustrybiz).
The group took an article by Kotaku as an opportunity to make this request: it said that the “transphobia from 2013” no longer had any place in the new version from 2022 (via kotaku).
No comment from the developers
How does Rockstar Games express itself? The developer studio behind Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar Games, has not yet commented on the removal of the transphobic content.
We at MeinMMO have asked Rockstar for a statement. Should Rockstar Games publish a statement on the subject, we will update this article and inform you about further developments.
Rockstar Games popular game franchise Grand Theft Auto is known for its controversial humor and has in the past been criticized for harsh portrayals and parodied celebrities.
Most recently, however, the introduction of a subscription model for GTA Online caused displeasure on the part of the community, for which Rockstar Games received criticism from the players.
GTA Online gets harsh criticism for the new subscription service: “Feels like an April Fool’s joke”
Reference-mein-mmo.de
