One Controversial GTA 6 Rumor May Not End Well For Juveniles

A recent Grand Theft Auto 6 story rumor suggests a first for Rockstar’s hugely successful crime franchise. Through previous leaks and reports it has been revealed that the highly anticipated title will take place in a present-day Vice City and will follow a Bonnie and Clyde-esque duo called Lucia and Jason.

The 90 leaked videos also gave fans a great idea of what new mechanics to expect from the sequel, such as hostage situations and more interiors, but provided little in the way of story details. After many years of waiting, however, Rockstar has confirmed the first trailer for GTA 6 will be released in December 2023 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the company, with many speculating that this will coincide with The Game Awards.

Lucia May Have A Child In GTA 6

This Would Be The Youngest Character In GTA

According to Rockstar Universe, an internal source has stated that Lucia has a child in GTA 6, and that they will be appearing throughout the game’s storyline. This child is supposed to be young, which would be a first for the franchise, which previously had protagonists with older offspring, such as GTA 5‘s Michael, whose children Jimmy and Tracey were young adults and therefore could be involved in some of the antics the franchise is known for.

However, Lucia’s child is much younger, which could be problematic if they are put into certain scenarios due to their parent’s criminal activities. Unlike Michael’s family missions, which saw Tracey appearing on overly-sexualized reality TV shows and facing threats such as stalkers, and Jimmy, who was kidnapped after insulting someone online, Lucia’s child is rumored to only appear in cutscenes, which could be a way to distance them from the more adult themes of the Grand Theft Auto universe.

Could GTA Borrow From Red Dead Redemption?

Jack Marston’s Inclusion In RDR2 Could Pave The Way For Lucia’s Child

It’s possible that Grand Theft Auto 6 could approach the inclusion of Lucia’s child in a similar way to how Rockstar incorporated a young Jack Marston into its other acclaimed open-world series, Red Dead Redemption. In Red Dead Redemption, Jack was a teenager and only primarily appeared in cutscenes until players could assume control of an adult version of him to avenge his father’s death in the game’s epilogue.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, however, Jack was much younger at the age of four due to the game serving as a prequel focusing on the final days of the Van der Linde gang. Red Dead Redemption 2‘s protagonist, Arthur Morgan could interact with Jack when in the Van der Linde camp, and the young boy seemed to think fondly of him. Some select missions allowed Arthur to engage in activities such as fishing with Jack, and would largely shield him from the brutality of Arthur’s actions in the wider game.

Jack was, however, kidnapped by the Braithwaite family at one point in Red Dead Redemption 2, who then gave him to Angelo Bronte. Despite this section being the closest Jack came to the darkness of the franchise’s world, Bronte seemed to take good care of the boy, thus sparing him from the criminal activities around him. The Van der Lindes were also able to get him back through a deal with Bronte, rather than violence, shielding him further.

Could There Be Other Children In GTA 6’s Open World?

Having Kids In GTA Could Be Problematic

Although the Grand Theft Auto series has shied away from the inclusion of children, Rockstar has already featured them in the boarding school-set Bully and the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption games. However, Jack Marston was the only child to appear in the latter, and the game didn’t intend for him to get hurt, restricting the use of weapons within the Van der Linde camp where he is located for most of the game. It’s possible that Lucia’s child could appear in a similar capacity where they’re only situated in one of GTA 6‘s safehouses, and that weapons may not be permitted in there to stop players from harming them as well.

Grand Theft Auto players have always been able to kill any NPC in their path either with an array of weapons or by running into them with different vehicles. This kind of chaotic freedom has been one of the franchise’s main selling points, and also its main source of controversy since the original 2D top-down titles of the late 90s. However, the series largely got away with it due to the fact that everyone who inhabited these games seemed to be adults. If children were to start populating the rest of Vice City, however, this could be extremely problematic, as it would be harder to regulate the violent antics within the game’s open world.

Games such as Cyberpunk 2077 got around this by simply removing the option to shoot when the aiming reticule went past a child, and it’s possible that GTA 6 could do the same. However, players will likely try to push the limits of what they can get away with via explosive radiuses and mods, much as they did in RDR 2, and will simply have the option to drive a vehicle at the civilians regardless of age, which wasn’t possible in RDR‘s camps.

Hopefully, with the trailer finally arriving in December, it shouldn’t be too long before Rockstar provides more information surrounding how exactly Lucia’s child will be incorporated into Grand Theft Auto 6‘s story, or what its new version of Vice City looks like. The GTA series has always been one that’s relished in its controversy and often tries to up the ante with each entry. However, if players start committing the kind of violent acts the series is known for against children, it could be a step too far for some.