Rockstar has edited transphobic elements in GTA V re-release
Update: Out Making Games confirms changes following its campaign to have offensive content removed
Original story, April 18: Rockstar appears to have edited transphobic caricatures in its latest re-release of Grand Theft Auto V.
A twitter thread from Kirsty Cloud, admin on GTANet, a Grand Theft Auto community site, reported on the changes made.
Some of the changes include the removal of some trans NPCs, and an advert inside of a store that originally featured "interchangeable genitalia."
Cloud also said that harmful dialogue directed to characters from the protagonist have been removed.
Cloud notes that the changes could have been made following the plea from UK-based LGBTQ+ game professional group Out Making Games.
In 2021, the collective called on Rockstar to remove the transphobic stereotypes and jokes prior to the GTA V re-release on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Update, April 19: Out Making Games has confirmed that Rockstar made the changes.
"Last year we wrote an open letter to Rockstar, calling on them to remove transphobic content from GTA 5's next gen release," the body said in a tweet. "We're thrilled to say that they have. Thank you to everyone at Rockstar who prioritised this issue."
Additional reporting by Danielle Partis.