The popular video game Grand Theft Auto has announced its first playable female protagonist character, and she’s a woman of color. This new character would be the first woman in the game not to be beaten, asked for sex, or robbed.

According to IndieWire, the changes for a female protagonist in the 25-year-old game stem from the departure of Dan Houser. Houser previously led the creative direction of the action video game. The unnamed hero will be one of two leads in the game’s Bonnie and Clyde-inspired storyline, where both characters are bank robbers of Latinx descent.

The new GTA 6 game will be set in fictionalized Miami and surrounding areas, a possible return for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. However, the game will be regularly updated with new missions and cities.

In addition, the new launch version will have more interior locations than in any previous GTA game. 

According to IGN, developers are unsure of the exact release date. Still, users can expect a release between April 2023 and March 2024, mainly due to multiple changes in the team and production.

Some developers are even said to have recently quit due to a lack of progress on the game. As a result, developers on the team expect the game to be at least two years away and say that no firm release date has been set internally, IGN reports.

According to Bloomberg, developers have also decided to shelve a mode of play called “Cops’ n’ Crooks” following the murder of George Floyd in summer 2020. 

The creators of Grand Theft Auto removed the game’s mode to create a “kinder, gentler company” for its staff and players. Furthermore, the company was concerned about how the game would be perceived. 

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