A rumor has circulated online since at least July 2025 that the long-awaited video game Grand Theft Auto VI would feature Pride parades and more LGBTQ+ representation than previous titles in the franchise.
The claim spread on social media platforms such as X (archived) and Reddit (archived). One Facebook post (archived) went into more detail about what the purported additions to the game would include:
It is being said that GTA VI will include Pride parades and expanded queer representation, marking a significant step toward inclusivity in the franchise. Players can expect diverse characters, storylines, and events that reflect real-world LGBTQ+ experiences within the game’s open-world setting.
In short, Snopes was unable to independently verify that Rockstar Games, the publisher of the GTA series, had plans to include pride Parades or any form of LGBTQ+ representation in the upcoming title, which was scheduled for release in late 2026 as of this writing. The GTA franchise and other Rockstar games have largely avoided such topics — more on this below. As such, we have left this claim unrated.
We reached out to Rockstar to inquire about Pride parades and LGBTQ+ representation in GTA VI and will update this story if we receive a response.
Complicated history of representation
Rockstar has found itself on both sides of controversy related to the LGBTQ+ community. GTA IV featured multiple openly gay characters, such as Gay Tony and Bernie Crane. Although their characterization might have been seen as stereotypical, some fans appreciated (archived) the representation they provided, and some even saw them as nuanced depictions (archived).
However, Rockstar was later criticized for featuring characters in GTA V that were said to play into stereotypes about transgender people (though the characters were allegedly labeled as “drag queens” in the game files). According to IGN, the company removed the characters and other references to potentially harmful stereotypes when remastering the game.
Accuracy to the real world
Locations in the GTA franchise are often inspired by real-world cities and include many recognizable elements from those areas. GTA VI’s playable area “Vice City” was said to take direct inspiration from Miami, with developers making an effort to depict the city accurately.
The Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law researching “sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy,” released a 2021 study revealing that Miami’s metropolitan statistical area was home to 214,000 self-identified members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Because the developers went to such lengths to accurately depict Miami’s aesthetics and some of its social issues, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to include representation for the LGBTQ+ community as another real aspect of the city’s culture.
For further reading, Snopes investigated the claim that “Hogwarts Legacy,” a Harry Potter video game, featured an openly transgender character.
