Paris (France) (AFP) – Having become eminently popular, will the Grand Theft Auto saga succeed in maintaining a scathing outlook on the American society that contributed to its success? A few days before the release of its new part, players and analysts are waiting after changes in the studio's creative team.

Published on: 09/11/2026 - 15:12

“We can ask ourselves the question,” admits specialist Olivier Mauco, author of “GTA IV, the other side of the American dream”, noting that the different presentations of the game “have highlighted much less” this aspect until now.

Parody of news channels, stereotypes taken to the extreme, statue of Liberty hijacked... Over the course of the episodes, GTA regularly made fun of the excesses of American capitalist society.

But, for this new opus expected on November 19, Rockstar seems to want to communicate more about its duo of protagonists, Jason and Lucia, a “Bonnie and Clyde” couple who tries to survive in a fantasy version of Miami plagued by crime.

“I really like the social criticism of GTA, that’s what makes the game funny,” says Baptiste Gomiero, a fan of the saga met at the end of October at Paris Games Week. “If it was absent (from the new opus), I would be a little disappointed.”

To seek an explanation, Chris Klippel, creator of the specialized media Rockstar Mag, notes that "of the five screenwriters who worked on +GTA V+, three have left" including Dan Houser, one of the two founding brothers of the studio. “So, obviously, that raises concerns.”

Criticisms and controversies

GTA's taste for transgression dates back to the very first episode, in 1997.

“To make people talk about themselves and appear like enfant terribles, the Houser brothers are going to make people believe that GTA invites kids to steal cars,” explains Olivier Mauco, causing a moral panic in the United Kingdom, home of the DMA Design studio which has since become the Scottish branch of Rockstar.

This reputation will stick to the skin of the series, regularly accused of glorifying violence and inciting criminal behavior, while becoming a symbol of rebel culture.

Starting with the opuses “Vice City” (2002) and “San Andreas” (2004), Rockstar will gradually integrate societal issues into its gangster stories.

The shift occurs with "GTA IV" (2008): plunged into a spiral of violence, its hero, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, faces the disillusionment of the American dream.

“It is certainly the most written in terms of social criticism,” says Mr. Mauco. “It’s almost an author’s game, which is quite crazy and paradoxical because already, at the time, it was one of the most expensive games” ever developed.

"Restline"

Released in 2013, the episode stamped "V", the latest to date, opposes, through its three protagonists, the America of the cities, rather democratic and hipster, to the deep and more disadvantaged America of the rednecks of the Midwest.

For Olivier Mauco, the game illustrates "the democratic crisis in the United States" and depicts "an America that no longer speaks to itself", three years before Donald Trump came to power.

If the game has since sold more than 230 million copies, it is difficult to assess to what extent its message resonated with players, especially since some of them "are more there to let off steam" and sow chaos in these great fictional metropolises, observes Chris Klippel.

“I still think that it will remain very satirical, that's what makes the series so interesting,” predicts Christopher Dring, from the specialized media “The Game Business”, comparing the corrosive humor of GTA to that of the cartoon South Park.

According to him, we should not expect attacks against Trump or Russia in "GTA VI", but rather "a critical look at culture and society", starting with the omnipresence of social networks.

“GTA has always been able to find the right balance: a universe inviting escape that makes fun of the problems of the modern world,” observes the specialist.

A thorny “crest line” to maneuver so as not to be accused of being politicized. “And we know that some players really don’t want that,” he concludes.

© 2026 AFP

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