Rockstar's Rob Nelson tells The Guardian GTA 6 is the first GTA with "mechanisms that encourage" empathy

Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson told The Guardian that GTA 6 is the first game in the series to try to "provide mechanisms that encourage" empathy, and that Jason and Lucia start out as small-time criminals. IGN reported the interview on November 14, citing The Guardian. The Guardian's full article is dated November 15.

Guardian writer Keza MacDonald saw the game running at Rockstar North with Nelson and head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe. She wrote that early on the pair can only hotwire cheap cars and pick simple locks, and take on bigger jobs later. Nelson called them "a younger couple with their backs against the wall", and said it makes little narrative sense for them to cause as much carnage as they can.

Asked whether this is the first GTA to encourage empathy, Nelson said "I would say so". He also said "Crime is a fundamental part of GTA", at least until now, and that Rockstar does not want to punish people for playing the way they are used to. In the same answer he said player actions "will have some effect" on how the game plays out.

The Guardian described what that looked like in the session. Instead of opening fire in a busy street, players case a target, disable security cameras or steal the footage, and look for back doors and safe codes. Away from crime, the article said that most of the time you can switch between Jason and Lucia, have them text and call each other, and take them on dates, and that neglecting their relationship has consequences.

The article also said the game is made by a team of nearly 5,000 people, and that Rockstar spent more than $1bn on it "by independent estimates that Rockstar will not confirm". Rockstar has not given a budget figure.

This was one reporter's session, held a month before release by the Guardian's account, so details may have changed. Rockstar has not said how the empathy mechanisms work beyond what Nelson told The Guardian.