rockstar: Rockstar removes ‘transphobic’ content from GTA V remasters

Rockstar Games has removed multiple characters and jokes from the popular game Grand Theft Auto 5 after more than nine years of the game’s original release. Critics have denounced these jokes and characters and have described them as ‘harmful stereotypes of transgender people.’
According to a new Ars Technica report, press and LGBTQ+ groups have recently pressurised Rockstar ‘to remove or change the content they deem as “transphobic” in the GTA V game. The report adds that various changes were noticed on the remastered version of GTA 5 available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
These changes included the Captain Spacetoy figure with “interchangeable genitalia” being removed and characters labelled as “drag queens” (usually found outside in-game nightclub Cockatoos) no longer spawning, moreover, some explicit dialogues were also deleted. Captain Spacetoy is an action figure that is found on the wall of the office in the in-game arcade.
The report also mentioned that the developers made these changes after a group of LGBTQ+ games professionals called Out Making Games wrote an open letter to Rockstar Games. Another video game blog named Kotaku also found the content as “problems with trans representation” during the original 2013 release.
Rockstar has opted to remove controversial content earlier as well. In 2015, the Confederate Flag was replaced with the American flag from certain locations in Grand Theft Auto 5. The newly released GTA 5 version for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, delivers better load times and other enhancements. In February, there were reports about the developers announcing GTA 6.