Rockstar Removes Confederate Flag From GTA Trilogy
While we can't wait to jump back into the wide world of Grand Theft Auto with the remastered trilogy, it looks like things are a little different in Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. We've already covered thicc Tommy Vercetti, but now, it looks like the devs have made more changes.
Considering the last entry in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was San Andreas in 2004, the world has moved on a lot in the past 17 years. The series has always been known for its controversies, but taking a leaf out of Sledgehammer's book with swastikas in Call of Duty: Vanguard, it seems the Confederate Flag has been removed from the GTA Trilogy.
Why Has The Confederate Flag Been Removed From The GTA Trilogy?
When Take-Two Interactive finally lifted the veil of mystery on the GTA Trilogy, fans were largely impressed by what they saw. Rockstar has promised that all three games have remained the same in terms of content, but have received an overhaul in terms of graphics and performance. On the GTA Reddit page, one fan claims Vice City's Phil Cassidy has had the Confederate Flag removed from his t-shirt. Instead, there's now a skill motif.
There's no confirmation from Rockstar about why the change has been made, however, the Confederate Flag is considered by some as a display of racism. Even if moving with the times is all well and good, the top comment on the post currently reads, "I dislike the Confederate battle flag in real life but even I'm against removing it from games. The point of showing it in game was to be satirical and parody and make fun of said red necks. One of the bests ways to critique evil or sh*tty people is parody and comedy."
Another wrote, "Agreed. But at the same time we have to remember the connotations of the flag have changed over the years. A show like The Dukes Of Hazard with the General Lee would never make it to production nowdays, likewise with Lynard Skynard's 'Sweet Home Alabama' cover."
A third said, "This instance is disappointing because GTA has always been about confronting society’s ills and mocking them. Backing away from controversy shows that Rockstar is regressing and fearful. It also shows that context doesn’t matter anymore, which is a real shame. People are enraged over concepts and words instead of intent."
Has Anything Else Changed In The GTA Trilogy?
Rockstar is no stranger to racism controversy. We previously covered how one Red Dead player was apparently confronting racists dressing as the KKK in-game. Heading back to Vice City, Cassidy is remembered as a Vietnam veteran that holds many stereotypical traits of American conservatism. It remains to be seen how/if this will change his character arc.
We should probably remember the Confederate Flag is currently banned from appearing in Twitch, so it's not exactly the kind of symbol that's being embraced by the community. Elsewhere, it seems the VR version of Resident Evil 4 has censored some potentially outdated sexual advances. Even if the developer is yet to comment on the Cassidy controversy, the evidence seems to speak for itself.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition will be available on November 11th for $59.99 (£54.99). They'll be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, the newer Series X/S consoles, and PC via the Rockstar Games Launcher. A physical release is looking to follow on December 7.