GTA 6 aims to get romance 'right' as developers confirm previous mini game will not be available
The video game industry has known for the longest time that sex sells.
You only have to look at Lara Croft's triangular breasts back in the OG Tomb Raider to see this in action. Even in 2026, scantily clad Marvel's Rivals characters and the continued obsession with 'jiggle physics' show that things might not have changed all that much.
Cyberpunk 2077 was praised for its graphic nudity and sex scenes back in 2020, and with GTA 6 tipped to be the most advanced video game of all time, you can bet that the devs are hoping to one-up the former in terms of realism.
The GTA series has a somewhat problematic past in terms of sex thanks to its depiction of prostitutes, strip clubs, and romance options, but apparently, Rockstar has learned from the gaming mistakes of the past.
GTA 6 will handle intimacy differently
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Despite it being a whopping 13 years since GTA V was released and shattered records, we've been kept fed by the continued success of GTA Online, as well as a steady feed of GTA VI leaks. GTA VI is finally landing on November 19, although there's still a lot that we're left in the dark about in terms of features and gameplay mechanics.
The latest outing includes the dual protagonists of Jason and Lucia, with a dynamic relationship system built directly into their partnership. While this Bonnie and Clyde element is completely skippable, the story will change based on how you handle Jason and Lucia as a potential partnership.
Rockstar has done away with the complicated mechanic of having multiple love interests across the city, with the whole idea of Jason and Lucia's relationship being at the core of the game as you can improve it through everything from playing mini-golf to texting them goodnight.
Discussing all things GTA VI with IGN, Rockstar North's Rob Nelson explained how intimacy will be handled in the modern age.
With so much time having passed since the last GTA, Nelson confirmed that the next game will work on relationships in a different way to past entries or other rivals: "Well, we don’t want to be so bad at it. These characters feel very right together – they really do. For anybody that wants to play around with the idea of role-playing their relationship, it's amazing.
"So many people on the team have connected with the characters. But physical intimacy is a huge part of a relationship, and so it has to be done right. Like anything that we do, we have to iterate and try things and iterate on it until we figure out what feels right.”
Being reminded that audiences don't want a 'weird caricature' version of intimacy, Nelson added: "We definitely want to err on the right side of it."
Nelson was then specifically asked if there are any minigames he doesn't want to see return, answering, "I think that's right," with a chuckle.
Without naming it, this feels like a not-so-subtle wink to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ infamous 'Hot Coffee' minigame.
What was the Hot Coffee scandal?
The attitude toward sex in video games was very different back when San Andreas released in 2004, with Hot Coffee being a dark mark on the franchise's history. Although unplayable in the game's full release, modders found the hidden code and enabled the minigame that let protagonist CJ have animated intercourse with his in-game girlfriend.
Rockstar seemingly disabled Hot Coffee to avoid San Andreas getting an 'Adults Only' rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board and miss out on being stocked by major retailers. An ESRB investigation eventually upped the title's rating from 'Mature', while Rockstar and publisher Take-Two got a warning from the Federal Trade Commission, and the game was banned in Australia.
In the aftermath, Hilary Clinton attempted to introduce the failed Family Entertainment Protection Act, and the ESRB confirmed that developers who refused to disclose the extent of their graphic content could face fines of $1 million.
Alongside Take-Two apparently spending $24.5 million in recalling copies to patch out Hot Coffee, the company agreed to a settlement for the numerous class-action lawsuits brought by disgruntled customers, shelling out a further $20.1 million in 2009.
It's no surprise that Rockstar is looking to handle intimacy a little differently this time around, and while there might be a cheeky nod to Hot Coffee in GTA VI, it'll be little more than an Easter egg.