After Decades Of Making Us Play As Men, GTA 6’s Lucia Has A Lot To Prove
Grand Theft Auto has always had a complicated relationship with women. With the arrival of player character Lucia Caminos in Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar has an opportunity to completely redefine the franchise's problematic dynamic with women — but sticking the landing is easier said than done.
Overview
Grand Theft Auto has always had a complicated relationship with women. For decades, it's been known as the series where you can visit a strip club, hire a sex worker, and swiftly beat her to death in the nearest alley. With the arrival of player character Lucia Caminos in the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year, Rockstar has an opportunity to completely redefine the franchise's problematic dynamic with women and potentially introduce one of the strongest female protagonists this medium has ever seen — but sticking the landing is easier said than done.
People often claim that everybody is an equal target in GTA's satirical worlds, but it's hard to accept that perspective when all the protagonists are men and most female characters around them exist to advance those men's stories. There are rare bright sparks, such as crime lord Asuka Kasen in GTA 3 or San Andreas' emotionally intelligent Kendl Johnson — but Rockstar has already proven it can write mature, nuanced women like Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption 2.