In a quietly significant shift that’s making waves in the gaming world, Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6), has removed all references to traditional DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives from its latest 10-K annual report.
The change, first reported by Game File and later picked up by WIRED, has sparked intense debate as the video game industry finds itself increasingly entangled in broader cultural battles over the concept of DEI in games—especially with a project as explosive and massive as GTA 6 on the horizon.
A Sharp Departure From 2024
In 2024, Take-Two’s annual report explicitly championed progressive causes, saying the company supported organizations that aimed to “eradicate social injustice,” supported Pride rights, funded scholarships for minority game design students, and “celebrated cultural differences” through employee groups.
That entire section is gone.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
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In its place, the 2025 report includes just a single statement on the subject of diversity:
“We firmly believe that diversity of thought drives the innovation that is integral to our success.”
The report adds, “We aim to provide an inclusive workplace in which everyone feels respected, heard, and safe.”
But noticeably missing are the specifics—no mention of social justice causes, minority student scholarships, or identity-based hiring initiatives. This marks a significant rollback in DEI language and commitments.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
When WIRED reached out to Take-Two for comment, the company declined to respond. However, its corporate website still hosts a statement affirming that it believes “more diverse teams are more valuable and effective. Diversity is key to our success.”
What Is Diversity of Thought?
In corporate settings, “diversity of thought” typically refers to encouraging a variety of perspectives, cognitive styles, and problem-solving approaches. The idea is that innovation improves when organizations include people with different life experiences, ways of thinking, and ideological viewpoints.
Companies like Meta and now Take-Two have recently adopted this phrasing in place of identity-based DEI language.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Critics of this shift argue that the term is often used as a loophole—a way to signal commitment to inclusion without engaging in more visible or quantifiable DEI practices such as demographic-based hiring goals or targeted scholarships.
In practice, “diversity of thought” is difficult to define, measure, or enforce, which has led some observers to view it as a rhetorical placeholder rather than a policy.
Daniel Oppong, founder of The Courage Collective is one of those people, apparently.
“When organizational cultures are largely homogenous, they’ll often cite ‘diversity of thought’ as a means to indicate some element of distinctiveness,” he said. “If ‘diversity of thought’ is deemed necessary (and acceptable), then diversity of identities (aka: diverse teams) should be an imperative as well.”
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Oppong further claimed that the broader DEI framework is often misrepresented.
“What was meant to be a robust, interdisciplinary practice designed to create cultures where people thrive, is often misrepresented as ‘wokeism’ and reduced to polarizing buzzwords that do not accurately portray the essence and impact of effective DEI,” he noted.
However, this view is not universally accepted.
While many companies promoted DEI policies between 2020 and 2022, their actual effects remain a subject of ongoing debate.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
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Oppong, however, asserts that DEI, when properly executed, benefits all employees—not just those from marginalized groups.
“One of the biggest misnomers about DEI is the notion that it only benefits people from historically marginalized groups,” he said. “The truth is, when implemented effectively, DEI benefits everyone.”
Yet critics have pointed out that this claim often lacks broad-based evidence. Opponents argue that certain DEI initiatives—such as hiring targets, segregated employee resource groups, or identity-based mentorship programs—may offer tangible benefits to select identity groups while creating uncertainty or resentment among other employees who do not qualify for those programs.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Some studies have found mixed or inconclusive results on the impact of corporate DEI initiatives on company performance, retention, or morale. Meanwhile, opponents of DEI argue that emphasis on immutable traits can sometimes lead to division or unintended exclusion, rather than unity or equity.
Ultimately, the debate over “diversity of thought” versus identity-based diversity hinges on a deeper question: should companies focus on who people are, or how they think? And when it comes to accountability, which approach offers clearer, measurable outcomes?
Take-Two’s decision to remove explicit DEI language from its annual report—while maintaining a general commitment to “diversity of thought”—places it squarely in the middle of that ongoing discussion.
The Broader Backlash
Take-Two’s pivot comes amid a growing trend of companies walking back DEI efforts across tech, entertainment, and retail—especially under pressure from President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on removing DEI from government and public-private partnerships.
In the gaming world, the rollback has been particularly sharp. Rockstar Games, owned by Take-Two, previously drew criticism from fans when it edited out jokes from Grand Theft Auto V in the next-gen re-release, reportedly in an effort to align with modern sensitivities.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
While those edits were not officially explained, the move was widely seen as a sign that Rockstar was abandoning its legacy of punching in every direction. Many fans worried that this meant GTA 6—the next game in a franchise infamous for its irreverence and boundary-pushing satire—might end up another toothless DEI title.
Those fears grew after several key members of Rockstar’s old creative team left the company, including Dan Houser, the longtime lead writer and co-founder of Rockstar, known for crafting the biting tone of the franchise.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Combine that with Take-Two’s scrubbed DEI language and a politically loaded atmosphere, and GTA 6 finds itself in the crosshairs before the game even drops.
The one confirmed detail about GTA 6? It will feature a Latina female protagonist—something already triggering accusations of “wokeness” from some corners of the gaming community.
Where This Goes
As Take-Two distances itself from DEI in public filings, it’s hard not to see this as a strategic repositioning in the face of political, fan, and shareholder pressure. But whether it’s a calculated retreat or just optics, the message is loud and clear: identity-based DEI is no longer the hill many corporations are willing to die on.
“People want to support and work for brands that align with their values,” Oppong claimed. “Given the shifting demographics of the U.S., it’s imperative that organizations consider the unique needs and values of different identity groups—particularly if they want to remain relevant and resonant with employers and consumers alike.”
A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare
While this perspective is common among DEI advocates, real-world data from the entertainment and gaming industries paints a more complex picture. Numerous high-profile projects that prioritized identity-focused marketing—such as The Marvels, Forspoken, The Acolyte, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Rings of Power—saw significant commercial underperformance or critical backlash, despite aligning with progressive messaging.
These outcomes suggest that while some consumers may appreciate ideological alignment, audiences tend to reward compelling storytelling, immersive gameplay, and authentic creative direction over messaging perceived as performative or agenda-driven. In fact, several companies that leaned heavily into DEI branding in recent years, including Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Games, have since scaled back such efforts amid disappointing financial results and shifting public sentiment.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
With Grand Theft Auto VI expected to become one of the biggest entertainment releases in history, Take-Two’s cultural choices will be under a microscope. And now, its annual report has ensured that battle lines are already drawn.
Do you think the GTA 6 publisher is abandoning DEI? Or is this just a corporate sidestep? Sound of fin the comments and let us know!
GTA6 has a decade of DEI infused ideas, hires, and direction. R* is terrible. Hell, they had to shift their focus from their Girlboss to her simp boy toy to try and deflect some of the critical feedback from the first pieces of marketing.
They went overboard with Girlboss_001 and I can’t imagine they’ve been able to back that off too much. Plus Take2 is like every other company, they are just letting their DEI teams go underground, branding them with different names. The BS is still ingrained in almost every hire they’ve made in the last 5 years, at least. That means not only are the devs woke af but the publisher and all their functions are woke af.
Of course this game will sell. It is GTA, but I hope they take their delay and do more to declaw their rainbow diversity wonderland of characters than Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.
Despite taking an extra 8 months Ubi could not excise their DEI nonsense from the game and it cost them the company and I expect to see at least a 15% direct layoff (about 3,000 people) which usually results in a similar number of indirect job losses (vendors and contractors). No game company I’ve worked for thinks their vendors or contractors are real people so they never figure those losses in when the job cuts come. Only fulltime employees are real.
They are just hiding it from the normies. The same alphabet clowns still work there.
I’ll keep paying attention to what they actually put in the products, not what they say. Always watch what they do and stay vigilant.
“A turd by any other name will still smell like schitt”
Shakespeare
(Very liberally paraphrased)
At this point I’m 99% sure GTA 6 will be woke and this just looks like a way to hide it instead of actually changing course.
A company that actually thinks they have been on a course that damages their reputation will be super eager to make a public announcement about the course correction, to win back the customers they’ve lost. This doesn’t happen with any of those companies, that “change course”. And this is because it’s still the same people in the company. They still want woke stuff and DEI in the company and in the game. They just need to keep it on the low for a while.
It’s just like with AC shadows, when people were speculating the delay was to remove wokeness from the game. Maybe they did remove some of it. But with that non-binary “romance” where Yasuke even looks directly in the direction of the player, they made it clear, that they still stand on wokeness and DEI.
And I expect to see similar things from GTA 6.
At this point GTA 6 is already dead for me and I made my peace with never playing Rockstar games again, even though they used to be one of my top 3 devs for decades.
Maybe the game is released and I’m proven wrong. I would actually be really happy about this. But I don’t think that’s realistic.