Despite disappointments over yet another delay for Grand Theft Auto 6, the latest trailer by Rockstar has generated even more excitement for the highly anticipated title. Showing a mix of both pre-rendered cutscenes and in-game footage, the sheer scale and level of detail have massively sured anything its predecessors were capable of. With how much of the game was shown off in GTA 6's second trailer, fans have already started picking it apart to find all of its hidden secrets.

While much of the trailer was more or less similar to the classic Grand Theft Auto action and satire we've come to expect from the series at a drastically higher fidelity, there were plenty of confirmed details for GTA 6 hidden within. With returning characters and countless Easter eggs to real-life events, pop culture, and previous entries in the franchise, the latest entry in the GTA series is filled to the brim with surprises. Aside from the returning content seen in the trailer, one blink and you'll miss it could have massive ramifications for the franchise's future after GTA 6.

Fans May Have Spotted A Kid In GTA 6's Trailer 2

A Surprising Inclusion With Concerning Connotations

With how closely fans were trying to spot elusive Easter eggs in the trailer, it's little surprise how quickly some s online discovered what seemed to be kids in the official screenshots posted alongside the reveal. While it's hard to make out fully, many s like TheGTAVerse on X noted what seems to be a kid at a table with their family, sparking discourse on what it could entail for GTA 6.

Child characters could be a first glimpse of what to expect from GTA 6's expanded roster of NPCs and storytelling variety.

While it's far from an official confirmation, child characters could be a first glimpse of what to expect from GTA 6's expanded roster of NPCs and storytelling variety. Despite the excitement, some fans have also pointed out that kids could simply be included in pre-rendered cutscenes rather than actual gameplay, helping aid immersion without dealing with the consequences their inclusion would bring.

This isn't the first time eagle-eyed viewers have spotted kids in a GTA 6 trailer either, as the very trailer showcasing the game also caused a similar reaction when several children were seen in the background of a cutscene. The trailer segment featuring the children seemed to be taken from one of the many in-game reality show segments, leading some to believe that the model inclusion would only be reserved for cinematic moments outside of gameplay. Compared with the new screenshot, seemingly being in-game footage, it could be confirmation of the inclusion of child NPCs in the open world itself.

No GTA Games Have Ever Featured Children

A Small Concession That Reduces Realism For The Series

While children are the furthest thing I would imagine finding in an adult-oriented series like Grand Theft Auto, the absence of younger characters is still notable, given how much the series prides itself on pushing the boundaries for creating a realistic sandbox experience. Much like how Grand Theft Auto has a diverse variety of body types and cultural groups to make the world come to life with more accuracy, it's not too surprising that the next step would be to add NPCs of varying ages as well.

Although children don't show up in any of the Grand Theft Auto games aside from references within the franchise's in-game media, the addition makes more sense when compared to Rockstar's previous Red Dead Redemption 2. While the original game strayed away from the idea, RDR2 had several child NPCs that you could encounter, most notably being Jack Marston and a handful of teenagers. Given the dangerous nature of the time, it's not too surprising that only a few kids were roaming the Wild West in RDR2, with Rockstar avoiding controversy by making them invincible from player damage.

RDR2 had several child NPCs that you could encounter, most notably being Jack Marston and a handful of teenagers.

Compared to the dangerous world of RDR2, introducing children to the world of GTA is a much more difficult task without feeling out of place or breaking the flow of each game, with how populated their cities are, but the latest entry in the series has the chance to outdo RDR2​​​. Despite Rockstar's latest GTA 6 striving towards intensive realism that pushes industry boundaries, there are more than a few reasons that children have never been included in the history of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Why Kids Aren't In Grand Theft Auto Games

Vice City And San Andreas Weren't Exactly The Most Family-Friendly Cities

It's not much of a secret that the Grand Theft Auto series has thrived off controversy over the years, benefiting from the massive media attention over its depictions of adult themes and violence. While Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto doesn't shy away from pushing boundaries, violence towards children of any kind is not only a surefire way to generate unfavorable controversy, but also poses several ethical and legal concerns. On top of resulting in a higher ESRB rating, depictions of violence against kid characters would result in GTA 6 getting outright banned in several countries.

Even with the legal and financial ramifications aside, the unexpected direction GTA 6 takes with its characters would completely oppose the unnerving actions some players are more than ready to commit to any NPC they come across. Unlike some of the more violent and unforgivable yet still lovable psychopaths, such as Trevor from GTA 5, the dynamic duo of Jason and Lucia in the GTA 6 seems surprisingly wholesome and well-liked within the game world, even with their criminal history.

If It Is A Kid In The Trailer, Then GTA 6 May Have A Problem

Including Children In Violent Games Needs Creative Solutions

Given the strict limitations of including children in violent game franchises like Grand Theft Auto without harming public image or sales, Rockstar has to be careful about balancing the line between realism and its morally questionable, but generally acceptable, gameplay and storytelling. While I doubt the story of GTA 6 won't have its share of darker moments that leave me cringing at the screen, the series doesn't need to rely on negative publicity to reach its target audience, as the second trailer reached nearly half a billion views less than a week after release.

While countless games like Bethesda's Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises get away with child NPCs by simply making them invincible, the vastly populated open worlds of Grand Theft Auto require more creative solutions. Cyberpunk 2077 had a similar problem to GTA 6 with its inclusion of child NPCs in the open world, opting for a combination of making them invincible from attacks and having them disappear the moment you set foot in a vehicle.

The unprecedented level of realism that GTA 6 strives toward would be held back by these sorts of immersion-breaking mechanics.

While these approaches worked fine for previous generations, the unprecedented level of realism that GTA 6 strives toward would be held back by these sorts of immersion-breaking mechanics. Regardless of whether Grand Theft Auto 6 chooses to limit the inclusion of kids to scripted segments and pre-rendered cutscenes or include them as invincible, roaming characters, there are plenty of exciting ways to improve on the mechanics of the series moving forward.

Source: TheGTAVerse/X