Women Are Rallying Against "Red Flag" GTA 6, Call It "Microcheating" - GameRant

There continues to be a seemingly never-ending stream of social media posts from women stating that they will not be letting their significant others play Grand Theft Auto 6. Grand Theft Auto 6 is shaping up to be the most highly-anticipated new video game release of all time, and for good reason. Franchise fans have been waiting 13 years since the release of GTA 5 to play the game, and the recent Extended Look on Netflix was incredibly impressive, pushing the hype to unprecedented levels.

But not everybody is looking forward to playing Grand Theft Auto 6 when its release date rolls around on November 19. Since the Extended Look drop, multiple videos have gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms of women explaining why they aren't allowing their boyfriends, husbands, etc. to play GTA 6. These videos continue to be posted, though there are some posting counterarguments as well.

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The main complaint in these videos is that GTA 6 features a romantic relationship that players can pursue. Basically, people are upset that their significant others can romance Lucia. Various videos have labeled men wanting to play GTA 6 as a "red flag" and some have gone as far as to claim that playing the game is a form of "microcheating." Some of these videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views, if not millions of views. There are many that agree with these takes, saying things like not allowing your partner to play GTA 6 is about "boundaries," but there are also others that are baffled that GTA 6's romance options are causing such a commotion.

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Some women have started posting videos mocking those who don't want their SOs to play GTA 6, calling them "insecure" and pointing out that romance is a key component in games that are popular with women, like The Sims. Of course, The Sims is not just a game for women, and GTA 6 is not just a game for men. There will undoubtedly be millions of women playing GTA 6 as well, and something that seems to be getting lost in all the hubbub is that Lucia is one of the main playable characters in the game. She's not just a romance option, and referring to her simply as "Jason's girlfriend" greatly diminishes her role.

It seems like a lot of people making these criticisms about GTA 6 are not gamers and don't really have a full grasp on what the game entails (and also seem oblivious to dating, romance, and sex already being elements in previous games in the series). The idea that playing a game that has a romance is "microcheating" is absurd to many, but the controversy is unlikely to have much of an impact on GTA 6's bottom line at the end of the day. GTA 6 is likely going to break sales records at launch, regardless of this or other controversies surrounding its release.

This is far from the first time that people have been up in arms about a Grand Theft Auto game. Grand Theft Auto's violent content has often found the series at the center of controversy and lawsuits. And the San Andreas Hot Coffee incident shows that sexual content has also long been a hot button issue for people when it comes to the GTA series. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this controversy evolves as we get closer to the game's release date.