Before jumping into the details of this rumor there needs to be an important disclaimer. When covering any rumor or potential leak it is standard procedure to track down the original source rather than simply repeating what other outlets have said about the leak. This is done primarily to verify the authenticity of the details as there are numerous instances of websites falsely reporting on what was said or what is transpiring. As is relevant here.
The second reason is simply to ensure no juicy or more important details were missed by other outlets. Sometimes there are more important details that other outlets ignore in their parroting of other coverage. Such as the case with the Dead Rising 5 leak saying the development was moved from the Vancouver studio after Capcom lost faith in the developer. Other times it is important to see the small claims that may be glossed over as they are often what allow you to weed out a well-crafted fake.
Unfortunately, such efforts are impossible in this case as a result of two outlets misreporting what was said during the video. Rockstar Mag, a french outlet dedicated to all things Rockstar related, had a video where they answered questions and detailed what they knew about certain situations. Two outlets opted to falsely report they were insiders and then proceeded to falsely report on the details of what was said.
As a result of the false coverage, the outlet removed the video in question, leaving it impossible to verify the authenticity of the rumor. That being said with the sheer number of witnesses and no repudiation of the contents it is safe to say it is vastly more likely than not to have occurred as it has been told. Still take it with a grain of salt.
As a quick recap, Dan Houser was one of the two founders of Rockstar games and departed from the company back in February under suspicions he was ousted from his position. His brother was confirmed to be staying on, though now it is speculated he will be departing from the company following the release of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Being the head of development on various IPs, Dan wanted to interject a heaping helping of Trump Derangement Syndrome into Grand Theft Auto 6’s script. Those familiar with the company are more than aware of how it spent a good chunk of the narration of Red Dead Redemption 2 focusing on political narratives rather than focusing on telling a good story. As a result, the game priding itself on historic accuracy was a pseudo historic fiction at best.
Grand Theft Auto 6 was to make all of RDR2’s shortcomings look tame by comparison. The story would feature a President Trump parody along with the locking down of American borders as confirmed items. Essentially any shot they could take at President Trump they fully intended to do so.
Now before continuing it is important to note the financial institutions project the upcoming 2020 election to be a landslide sweep for the Republicans. Not only do they view this as what will happen, but they believe a day of reckoning will be upon them as Republicans will control the Presidency, House, Senate, Judicial Branch, and State governments. In essence, they’re terrified and do not know what the Conservatives are going to do to them.
Included in this mentality is Strauss Zelnick who not only owns Rockstars parent company Take Two, but also is the chairman of the CBS Corporation that has spent the last four years smearing President Trump. It is also important to remember the gaming industry is under a microscope as a result of their microtransactions and loot boxes. Issues that have been brushed aside as Democrats have attempted to push the false narrative of impeachment and as a result of the current pandemic and lockdowns.
Lockdowns that have done no favors for the entertainment complexes throughout the West. With all this in mind, it is no surprise Take-Two stepped in and vetoed Dan’s script. Not content letting them attempt to sneak in subversion on the side they’ve also stripped Rockstar of their creative freedom.
A sensible business decision after the lackluster performance of RDR2 and Red Dead Online, as detailed by GamesIndustry.biz. Not that either necessarily has abysmal numbers. Neither does, but they both failed to meet projections, and Take Two was none too pleased with the results and subsequent stock devaluation.
As a result of losing his creative freedom, a buzz phrase SJWs use to whine about not being able to turn anything into a medium for their politics, Dan left the company in frustration. His brother Sam is reported to potentially be following him after the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. Essentially if that is the case then Sam is being kept on purely for investor appeal rather than any creative merits he may or may not bring to the table.
Does this mean GTA 6 will not be woke? Probably not, but at the very least we won’t be seeing a repeat of Red Dead Redemption 2’s deprecation of Southerns and hamfisted feminist messaging. At the very least that is some good news.