A wave of TikTok videos warning women about a specific feature in Grand Theft Auto 6 has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, sparking a debate that's since spread to Reddit.

What the feature actually is

Following Rockstar Games' extended gameplay reveal last week, it was confirmed that GTA 6 protagonists Jason and Lucia are locked into an ongoing romantic relationship that players have to actively maintain throughout the game, including responding to in-game texts from Lucia, taking her on dates, and keeping her satisfied enough that the relationship doesn't deteriorate. According to preview coverage, ignoring messages or skipping dates can cause the bond between the characters to cool over time.

How the backlash started

Florida-based creator Shelby Haas posted one of the most widely viewed videos on the topic, amassing over 815,000 views, in which she said her fiancé wouldn't be playing the game under any circumstances after learning about the mechanic. She also pointed to the game's strip clubs and a nudist community as additional reasons for her stance, encouraging followers not to let their partners play the game.

The debate has since spread beyond TikTok, including a post on Reddit's r/Advice forum, where a man described his girlfriend threatening to end their relationship over the same feature, despite his insistence that the game isn't built around anything inappropriate.

A split reaction online

Response to Haas's video has been divided, with some commenters thanking her for the warning and others pushing back, questioning why a fictional in-game relationship would cause real insecurity.

What Rockstar has said

Rockstar North's head of development, Rob Nelson, has previously addressed the mechanic directly, telling IGN the relationship system is entirely optional for players uninterested in engaging with it. He said Jason and Lucia's story is built around the two staying together and working as partners throughout most of the game regardless of how much players choose to invest in the relationship mechanic itself.

When GTA 6 releases

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on 19 November for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Anticipation for the game has already broken streaming records, with a 27-minute extended gameplay preview reportedly pulling in 31.1 million views on Netflix within four days of release.