Rockstar: GTA 6 Adds Empathy Mechanics for the First Time
Co-studio head Rob Nelson says player actions will affect how Grand Theft Auto 6 plays out, with empathy encouraged rather than forced.
Rockstar Games co-studio head Rob Nelson said Grand Theft Auto 6 will include mechanisms that encourage empathy, a first for the series, and that player actions will have some effect on how the game plays out. He made the comments in an interview reported by gamesradar.com.
Nelson said crime has been a fundamental part of Grand Theft Auto up until now, and that Rockstar is trying not to punish players for playing the way they are used to. The empathy mechanisms, he added, are tied to the story the game is trying to tell and are there for those who want to use them.
Grand Theft Auto 6 follows two protagonists, Lucia and Jason, and is set in Leonida, where unconstrained violence and chaos remain possible. Nelson's remarks indicate that approach still sits alongside the new systems.
The series has long been known for crime, cars, guns and mayhem; Rockstar's previous major release, Red Dead Redemption 2, was framed by the outlet as a more grown-up game.
Quick answers
What did Rockstar say about empathy in GTA 6?
Rob Nelson said that for the first time in a Grand Theft Auto game, Rockstar has provided mechanisms that encourage empathy for players who want to use them, linked to the story the game is telling.
Who are the protagonists of GTA 6?
The game follows two protagonists, Lucia and Jason, and is set in Leonida.