GTA 6 will avoid Trump and COVID-19 references, Rockstar says
Rockstar says GTA 6 will favour timeless satire over direct references to Trump, COVID-19 and other fast-dating events.
Rockstar Games is taking a deliberately long view with Grand Theft Auto VI. According to previews reported by Polygon, the studio does not plan to directly address Donald Trump’s rise to political power or the COVID-19 pandemic in the game’s satire.1 The choice reflects how long the game has been in development: topical jokes can age quickly by the time a major release reaches players.
Rockstar North studio head Rob Nelson said the team risks dating itself when it chases the moment too closely. The aim instead is to find ideas with a more lasting quality, built around human folly and behaviour that can still feel recognisable years later.1
That does not mean GTA 6 will ignore modern culture entirely. Previous trailers have included apparent nods to viral personalities and social-media trends, but Nelson said Rockstar has to choose its targets carefully. Broader themes can survive a long production cycle; specific political issues, memes and slang are more likely to feel stale by launch.
The approach also fits Rockstar’s wider handling of the sequel. Rather than treating the game as a weekly commentary show, the studio appears to be building a fictional version of America that can stand on its own. The result may be less immediately topical, but it should give the satire more room to breathe once players are exploring Vice City and the wider state of Leonida.
Rockstar’s official Grand Theft Auto VI site lists the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a 19 November 2026 release date.2
Our opinion
This is the sensible choice for a game that has to survive years of anticipation. A direct Trump or COVID storyline might generate headlines today, but GTA 6 will be judged by players long after those references stop carrying the same charge. Rockstar’s best route is to satirise the systems, appetites and absurdities behind the news rather than recreate one news cycle. That is a harder writing challenge, but it is also the approach most likely to make the game feel like a world rather than a time capsule.