The key facts

  • Rockstar hints that the relationship between Jason and Lucia in GTA 6 can be developed outside the main storyline
  • YouGov poll: 6% of Britons consider a virtual romance cheating, 19% 'would not be okay with it'
  • Women are noticeably more likely than men to view this negatively

GTA 6 raises the question of virtual relationships

The next installment of Grand Theft Auto from Rockstar, coming out next month, is expected to be the biggest entertainment release of the year. Judging by previews, the connection between the two main characters — Jason and Lucia, conceived as a couple in the spirit of Bonnie and Clyde — takes center stage in the game. Rockstar has hinted that they do not have to become a full-fledged romantic couple, but the relationship can be developed outside the main criminal storyline: joint trips to shops, bars and restaurants, workouts, as well as small interactions like holding hands and quick replies to messages. This has reignited a long-standing debate: if a player is so invested in a fictional relationship, does their real partner have the right to be upset?

Poll: 6% consider it cheating

In September, YouGov asked this question of more than 4,000 British adults. About 6% said they would consider such behavior cheating, and another 19% said they would 'not be okay with it'. Women turned out to be noticeably more inclined than men to view it negatively. Alli Franco, a 30-year-old Texas blogger with more than a million TikTok followers, told the BBC she was 'baffled' by the unfolding discussion: 'If your partner feels insecure because of a fictional character, serious reflection is needed. It's like having a crush on a TV star, but even further from cheating, since there is no other real person here'. Hundreds of commenters under her video agreed, though some caveated: 'If you cancel plans with your significant other or direct intimacy toward a fictional character — that's a bit weird'.

From Harvest Moon to GTA 6: the evolution of virtual romances

Games have for decades allowed building relationships with non-player characters (NPCs): marrying villagers in Harvest Moon (1996), emotional storylines in Final Fantasy VII, more complex romances in Baldur's Gate II, flirting, dating and marriage in The Sims. But all of these interactions were rigidly scripted by writers. GTA 6, it seems, offers a more dynamic option — relationships are formed through a wide range of interactions in an open world. 'The more sophisticated games become, the less likely the player is to fall out of the experience,' says Arienne Ferchaud, an associate professor at Florida State University who studies people's bonds with fictional characters. According to her, games are increasingly imitating reality and social relationships.

AI could make relationships even more realistic

The next step may be tied to artificial intelligence: Nvidia, Ubisoft and other major companies are already experimenting with generative AI that allows more natural conversations with NPCs. Characters of the future could remember past encounters, react to the player's actions and build relationships that change over time instead of following a pre-written script. Ferchaud believes this will make games even more immersive and relationships may 'seem more durable or special', but in her view, current AI creates only a 'stronger illusion', not a genuinely meaningful connection. There is also resistance in the industry to broader use of the technology. Franco notes that she already sees ads for AI chatbots for interacting with anime characters: 'I definitely see AI being integrated into games, but I would still consider it just a game. In the end, you can't cheat with lines of code'.

A promotional image from the game GTA 6 featuring the two main characters, Jason and Lucia. He is wearing a white vest and has a crewcut and a tattoo on his left bycep. She is facing him with a gun in her right hand. Image source, Rockstar games
Image caption,

The relationship between the two main characters, Jason and Lucia, is at the centre of Rockstar's latest Grand Theft Auto title

A screenshot from the game GTA 6 featuring the two main characters, Jason and Lucia driving in a convertable car. He is in the background drinking a soda and driving. She is leaning on the inside of the door with her arms crossed. Image source, Rockstar games
Image caption,

Rockstar has said players do not have to build a romantic connection in the game

Picture of a young woman smiling for a selfie in the woods. She has blonde hair slicked back in a ponytail and is wearing a stone coloured hoodie with a black body warmer.A female university student in a library wearing a demin jacket looking towards the camera with her hand on a bookThere are two girls in a dark bar smiling at the camera . On the left a blonde girl is wearing a strappy top and holding a drink. She leans into her friend on the left who is holding the camera to take a selfie of the two of them. The girl on the right has long brown hair and is wearing a black leather jacket.