Shelby Haas has warned other women not to let their partners play Grand Theft Auto 6 after learning about the game’s new relationship mechanics.
Haas, 26, who posts on TikTok as @diaryofasalesgirl, told her one million followers last week that she had decided her fiancé would not be allowed to play the upcoming title. The Cincinnati-based content creator cited a feature that lets players maintain an ongoing romance between the two main characters, Jason and Lucia, including texting, dating, and hand-holding.
“In absolutely no human way is my fiancée playing GTA 6 after I just saw that you literally have to maintain a relationship with a girl in the video game and text her and she’ll get mad if you don’t text her back, and you have to take her on dates,” Haas said in her TikTok video.
She also noted the presence of a “nudist community” and “strip clubs” in the game. Her advice to viewers was direct: “Don’t let your boyfriend, or fiancée or husband play GTA 6.”
The relationship system was revealed in recent media previews of the title, which is scheduled for release on November 19. Rockstar North’s head of development and co-studio head Rob Nelson told IGN that the mechanic is entirely optional for players who prefer to focus on other aspects of gameplay.
“I have to say it feels great — if you are into it as a concept. Don’t bother with it if you aren’t. Up to you,” Nelson said in the interview.
He continued: “The narrative is structured in such a way that the circumstances they find themselves in require them to stay together for most of the story and work together. At the very least they will get through most things as partners in crime.”
The video sparked divided reactions in Haas’s comments section. One viewer expressed solidarity, writing: “Girl thank you for putting me on bc absolutely not.” Another took a more skeptical view of the concern, replying: “it’s just game.. Are we that insecure???” A third commenter drew a comparison to other simulation games, noting: “I do worse things in the sims.” Some women indicated they planned to participate rather than prohibit, with one commenting: “Ima play it with him tho.”
Grand Theft Auto 6 represents Rockstar’s first main-series entry in over a decade, following more than 13 years of development. The preview footage alone drew massive audience interest, with Netflix reporting that its extended look at the game accumulated 31.1 million views on the streaming platform. The company categorized the preview as an “English-language film,” and it became the most-viewed title in that category in 87 of 93 monitored regions, substantially outpacing the second-place entry, “The Whisper Man,” which drew 23.2 million viewers.
Controversy over mature content has accompanied previous installments in the franchise, which have faced criticism for violent gameplay and the inclusion of strip clubs. The upcoming release appears poised to continue that pattern, with Haas’s viral reaction demonstrating how the new relationship feature has become a particular flashpoint for discussion ahead of launch.
Rockstar has not announced any changes to the game’s content or release plans in response to the social media discussion.