GTA VI: Mao Zedong Edition
A split-second resemblance in GTA VI has gamers joking—and worrying about what they can safely say online.
The newest Grand Theft Auto VI trailer sparked a surprising reaction in China, far from the game itself. Chinese gamers, already accustomed to bending the rules to play Rockstar Games titles, now wonder if they won't be able to play at all due to a possible Easter egg—a lookalike of Mao Zedong in the game. An Asian man armed with a shotgun appears around the 12-minute mark of the trailer, leading to cryptic comments from Chinese viewers on Bilibili.
They question his identity, his appearance, and fear that the game will be censored because of it. Reddit users also weighed in, suggesting that Rockstar may have included Chairman Mao in the game. While there is no evidence that Rockstar intended to reference the Communist Party's founder, Chinese gamers are already self-censoring before the game even releases.
Due to China's strict censorship laws, gamers worry that the game could be censored or even blocked. Despite the game's potential market size and positive reception from the global community, Chinese gamers may miss out on playing a new installment in the series due to the Easter egg.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
