Psychotherapist breaks down reason why GTA 6 character Lucia has become controversial among men

GTA 6 has been the talk of the town following the highly anticipated preview last week - with one particular character causing a stir among men.

For those who have no idea what we’re talking about, Grand Theft Auto is a hugely popular action-adventure video game series that became one of the best-selling of all time, but hasn’t released a new edition in over a decade.

So, with the new game finally within reach and scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, fans have been dissecting the trailer and sneak peeks searching for clues of what they can expect.

And as we say, one particular aspect has caused some seriously odd reactions - a woman being a co-protagonist, which is something that’s never happened before.

Shockingly, some men are going as far as saying they don’t even want to play it because there is a female protagonist.

Meanwhile, others are sexualising the character, with bizarre photos zooming in on her body parts doing the rounds online. Yes, really.

A female protagonist on GTA 6 has triggered some concerning responses (Rockstar)

One X post reads: “All angles of Lucia's FEET from the GTA 6 Extended Look Netflix Premier” while another says “Lucia stuns in the new GTA 6 footage. The amount of customizations she has is insane.”

Horrifically, one man even commented on the fictional character’s weight online, writing: “Starving Lucia immediately; why is her default a fat pig.”

While another bizarrely penned: “Gonna have to make Lucia fat as hell and unattractive so I can focus.”

And someone else revealed on Reddit: "I talked to a guy who said that he will only play as the male protagonist and when he is forced to play as the female, he won't continue. I mean I hope it's a joke, but some people are really something else."

Tyla spoke with Clinical Psychotherapist Gareth Strangemore-Jones, Founder, CEO and Clinical Lead at Mental Health Matrix, about the strange reactions from men and what they really mean.

Speaking about the unwillingness to play as a woman, he explained, “For some players, the character is a version of themselves: stronger, braver, able to do things they would never attempt in ordinary life. If they have always imagined that person as male, playing as a woman may feel less immediately familiar.

“That preference alone doesn’t establish misogyny. Refusing to consider a character because she is female, or responding with contempt, raises a different question.”

Netflix has released an extended look at the video game (Rockstar)

He outlined that for some men, there is a ‘discomfort about what playing as a woman supposedly says about the player.’

“In a friendship group where anything feminine gets mocked, even choosing a fictional character can become a little test of masculinity. Someone might dismiss her partly to avoid ridicule or win approval from other men.

“The reaction can be a performance for the group as much as an honest response to the game,” the expert continued.

For some, though, unfortunately, ‘straightforward sexism is part of it’.

The psychotherapist explained: “If you associate authority, aggression, and competence with men, a woman occupying that role challenges an expectation you may never have questioned. “Being comfortable looking at a female character is not necessarily the same as being comfortable identifying with her, taking her seriously, or seeing the story unfold through her decisions.”

And as for the sexualisation of the character, Gareth commented: “The fixation on her body can reveal another expectation: that a female character owes the audience sexual attractiveness. Finding a character attractive is perfectly ordinary. Insisting that she must meet your preferences to deserve a leading role is something else."

Some men have gone as far as saying they won't be playing (Rockstar)

He added: “Whether the criticism is that she is too big, too muscular, or not sexy enough, her appearance can become an excuse to dismiss everything else about her.

“These are possible explanations, not diagnoses of strangers from their comments. Nor should we assume the loudest accounts represent male players generally. The useful distinction is between someone saying, ‘This character doesn’t appeal to me,’ and someone arguing that women shouldn’t occupy that space at all.”

The character has also become controversial within relationships, after the introduction of romance between the game’s two protagonists, Jason and Lucia.

Some women have taken to TikTok to explain that they’re uncomfortable with their boyfriend playing along with the relationship element of the video game.

Rockstar has confirmed that players can actively develop their bond by sending texts to each other and going on dates outside of missions.

However, the creators have also stressed that this is entirely optional, and Rob Nelson, the head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North, told TechRadar: "Could we bring some sort of emotional resonance to GTA for people if they wanted to engage with it? Could we also provide mechanisms for people to just opt out of it if they're not into it?”

He reassured, “If they feel like, 'I don't want a relationship in this?' That's what we're going to find out. It's not something that we want to foist upon players."