Transphobic content has been removed from the GTA 5 remasters

Rockstar has removed transphobic content from the recently-released PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Grand Theft Auto 5.

Spotted by Reddit user JayProspero (thanks ArsTechnica), the Captain Spacetoy action figure has been altered in the in-game arcade. Originally it wore hot-pink and had "interchangeable genitalia"; now it's an alternative outfit with "posable vomit direction".

Further, Rockstar has removed the trans caricatures that would spawn outside of the Cockatoos nightclub.

Kirsty Cloud, administrator for GTA fan site GTANet, spotted the change and shared on Twitter. The caricatures, labelled "drag queens" in-game, have been disabled in the main game but still appear in the Director Mode.

However, dialogue concerning the characters has been removed, including transphobic lines from the lead characters.

In new-gen GTAV/GTAO, Rockstar appear to have disabled the trans caricatures or “drag queens” from spawning outside Cockatoos. This could be following a plea from OutMakingGames last year. I hope this provides comfort to anyone who felt these NPCs depicted harmful stereotypes 🏳️‍⚧️

The changes come, in part, due to a pressure campaign from Out Making Games - a group comprising LGBT+ members of the industry.

In September last year, the group wrote an open letter to Rockstar specifically requesting the removal of certain content from the remasters, referencing an article by Kotaku writer Carolyn Petit.

"We reject any argument of 'equal opportunity violence' against all types of characters in GTA 5," reads the letter. "That argument is missing the point. Given the cultural impact GTA 5 has around the world, Rockstar has a social responsibility to your players (many of whom may be LGBTQ+), to your staff and to the world at large to not promote violence against trans and gender diverse people."

The group has now responded to these changes.

"Grand Theft Auto 5 is a wildly popular game with millions of players worldwide and this change can have a huge impact on the way that those players see trans people," reads the response.

"Thank you to everyone at Rockstar who prioritised this issue - we ourselves are game developers and understand that even small changes like this take coordinated time and effort."

Last year we wrote an open letter to @Rockstar, calling on them to remove transphobic content from GTA 5’s next gen release. We’re thrilled to say that they have. Thank you to everyone at Rockstar who prioritized this issue. https://t.co/JnPtufcBZq

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