Summary
With the recent announcement ofGrand Theft Auto 6’s upcoming trailer, fans of the series are filled with more anticipation than ever before. Following the decade-long reign ofGTA 5that has seen it released on three different console generations, Rockstar Games is finally ready for its flagship franchise to move on. Leaks concerningGTA 6have driven much speculation among fans for some time now, with a strong sense of the game’s premise already embedded in the minds of much of the community. While no official sources have spoken about the content of the game yet, a recent alleged leak has managed to shake up what manyGTAfans have thought was even possible.
After some relativelyhigh-profile leaks regardingGTA 6took the community by storm over a year ago, many fans have felt a degree of certainty about what the game could entail. These leaks confirmed the game’s dual protagonists in Lucia and Jason, two robbers that could be a sort of modern-day spin on Bonnie and Clyde. A new piece of information detailing the existence of Lucia’s child that came in the wake of Rockstar’s trailer announcement has caused much more of a reaction, however, as it pushes the boundaries of theGTAfranchise as a whole.
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Rockstar Has Always Avoided Depicting Children
GTA’s Childless History
While the idea of Lucia being a young mother isn’t by any means an unrealistic prospect on paper, it is totally unprecedented for aGrand Theft Autotitle. In sandbox cities that see players able to remorselessly take out civilians and rival criminals alike using various violent means, children have always been omitted for obvious reasons. While RPGs likeSkyrimorBaldur’s Gate 3balance this issue by effectively making their child NPCs immortal to player attacks, the visceral nature ofGTA’s gameplay has made something like this a far less appealing compromise.
Some fans may be quick to point out that Lucia wouldn’t be the first playable parent in aGTAtitle, as the previous entry featured Michael DeSanta and his own family. Despite the surface-level similarities, the circumstances of a middle-aged retired bank robber and a young woman pursuing the same path are vastly different.Michael’s son inGTA 5, Jimmywas already technically an adult despite his extremely immature behavior, and he never factored heavily into the narrative. With Lucia’s young child possibly even still being a baby and her failings as a mother potentially being core to her backstory, this rumor being true has major implications forGTA 6.
Lucia’s Baby Presents a Serious Narrative Challenge for Rockstar
While there’s always been an element of a healthy suspension of disbelief driving the often psychopathic actions ofeveryGTAprotagonist, introducing the moral quandary of caring for a child creates a precarious scenario in terms of story. Even Michael was essentially a washed-up criminal whose own family was depicted in a deeply unsympathetic light, making it far easier to believe the violence he was capable of. If Lucia is truly present as a good mother in the nextGTA, it could make the carnage that the player causes far more jarring in terms of narrative.
Despite all the issues with their inclusion, Lucia’s child could actually provide a genuine sense of motivation for her crimes that adds weight to the story. If her status as a parent is handled similarly to that ofRed Dead Redemption’s John Marston, a man who wanted to escape his outlaw life and settle down, then her child could end up being a more compelling plot device than much of a present character throughout the game. Whether the rumors turn out to be true or not, fans won’t have to wait much longer beforeGTA 6’s first trailerarrives in early December and finally clears the air.
