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Recent reports have excited fans by claiming that Grand Theft Auto 6 will permit players to carry cocaine and consume it at any time. Rockstar Games features drugs prominently in the story, starting with an August gameplay reveal showing Jason and Lucia in a botched drug deal, as well as a scene where a VIP client snorts cocaine in a conference room.
Typically, video games treat substances as minor stat boosts paired with light debuffs. For instance, Starfield reduces oxygen recovery and carry capacity by 20% upon stimulant overuse, while The Outer Worlds 2 can trigger a permanent flaw reducing inhaler effectiveness. Rockstar North co-studio head Aaron Garbut told Game Informer that the developer increased scale, detail, and interaction simultaneously for this project.
Previews indicate that non-player characters react with high complexity and multifaceted behavior, suggesting that displaying substances publicly in locations like bars or restaurants might provoke social consequences, police intervention, or expulsion from venues. Additionally, diet and exercise routines will influence Jason and Lucia's physical appearance.
The author speculates that heavy substance use could unlock unique missions while potentially locking players out of certain storylines or affecting the optional romance between Jason and Lucia. Rockstar has not officially confirmed these intricate systemic consequences, though past titles like GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 already allowed protagonists to partake in illicit substances.
