GTA 6's version of the 'American Dream' might say a lot about the times we live in
The general idea of each Grand Theft Auto game has always been a subtle reflection of the ‘American Dream’ in at least some way, and it seems GTA 6 is being set up to express how much that’s changed in the 2020s.
All the guns, car theft, and other various bits of crime aside, each installment of the GTA series has also partly been a satirised take on the time of its release — and what the idea of the ‘American Dream’ really means at each point
In GTA IV, for instance, Roman Bellic sold Niko on the classic American Dream: money, status, and a more glamorous life in the US.
By 2013’s GTA V, that idea was fundamentally the same, but expressed in different ways across three protagonists. Michael was convinced to get back into crime to protect the wealth and lifestyle he made for himself, Franklin wanted to climb the ladder and get rich, whilst Trevor was chasing something closer to his own criminal empire.
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With GTA 6, however, Rockstar seems to be very conscious that priorities have changed over the last 13 years; in an increasingly expensive world, Jason and Lucia’s criminal ambitions may be a lot less about making it big and more about just not living paycheque to paycheque.
The ‘get rich’ satire has shifted
Rockstar Senior Vice President of Narrative Rupert Humphries discussed the subject in a new interview with LOVE Magazine, where he was asked how the idea of the American Dream has changed since earlier GTA games
Reported by Grand Theft Auto outlet GTAVice, Humphries shared: “Maybe the American Dream is more modest now. It's a house for your family and your loans paid off instead of wild success—but maybe today, that's just as out of reach for the average person.”
Whereas earlier GTA games have been all about encouraging you to amass enormous wealth and making the city it’s set in your playground, during a time that felt more doable in a real world of low interest rates and even gas prices, it seems to be clear those times are gone — and the real financial fantasy is all about comfortably making ends meet.
Sure, GTA 6’s story and gameplay trailers have shown us snippets of Jason and Lucia trying to live it large via fancy clothes and hitting the clubs (amongst a dozen new features), but the driving forces behind their crimes don’t seem to be framed around mansions, supercars, and limitless cash like before.
In the case of Jason, in particular, they're directly tied to his financial position.
It’s not essentially all doom and gloom; Humphries has described GTA 6’s South Florida/Miami map as a ‘pressure cooker for all kinds of insanity’ that Grand Theft Auto is still known for. On the other hand, it is said that Jason’s history, including his time in the army, will eventually lead to the new criminal path with his other half.
Humphries said: “It needs to be understood that he takes the measures he does—drug trafficking and becoming a bank robber, etc.—because of his material circumstances.”
Rockstar isn't presenting that as an excuse, though
Compared to GTA 4’s Roman, who was living comfortably enough but just wanted an even better lifestyle — or GTA 5’s Franklin, who was making money and had a roof over his head but merely had bigger ambitions, 6 is seeming to paint Jason’s situation (and hence Lucia’s) as one where robbing banks has suddenly become the only option to have a livable life in general.
That said, Rockstar isn't saying Jason's circumstances absolve him of responsibility.
Humphries clarified that the character's background wasn't designed as a specific political statement, and Rockstar doesn't want to give players a definitive moral explanation for his actions, either.
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One possibility raised in the interview is simply that he may be ‘wired differently from other people’ — with the definitive answer whether Jason really has no choice but to turn to crime still up in the air.
Lucia, meanwhile, has also been written around the desire for something better. Rockstar added: “Lucia had to be someone who wanted a better life for herself, and wouldn't let the obstacles in the way of that life stop her getting it.”
As well as being ‘tough, bada*s, and cool’, Rockstar also wanted Lucia and Jason to be both flawed and vulnerable, as well — in a way that the former could be in the same league as Rockstar’s most arguably iconic protagonists: the aforementioned Niko Bellic and Red Dead Redemption 2’s Arthur Morgan.
Whilst video games are all about escapism from real life, having a partially relatable protagonist in game franchises like GTA was always what kept those larger-than-life titles grounded in some way; with that, it can be easy to understand why setting the 2026 versions on the easy path to enormous fortunes is a bit too far of a stretch this time.
Just being able to pay all your bills may be the ultimate gaming fantasy in the mid-to-late 2020s, but at the least, the graphics and gun gameplay will still be stellar on PS5.
Topics: GTA 6, PlayStation 5, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto