Summary
WithGrand Theft Auto 6’s second trailerofficially out in the wild, it feels like every minute, fans are making some sort of discovery. Whetherthat’s some reference to Rockstar’s other franchise, Red Dead Redemption 2, orhints of there being another state to explore, fans are doing their damnedest to figure everything outbefore the game’s May 2026 release.
Now, those same fans are convinced thata promotional screenshot on GTA 6’s websiteis hinting at a series first — children in the Grand Theft Auto world.
Grand Theft Auto Has Never Featured Children
In a tweet shared Monday, a GTA fan account believes they have spotted what appears to be a child in a screenshoton the GTA 6 website.
The image, which is listed as Grassrivers 02, does indeed appear to feature a smaller NPC, though it’s not definitively a child one way or the other.
To this point, the GTA series has never had children in its overworld, a conscious decision made by Rockstar to prevent anyone from attempting to injure, maim or harm a child NPC. It would also impact the game’s rating, which is already a contentious issue. Children, of course, have been referenced, and school buses have been seen, but actual walking child NPCs simply hasn’t happened.
Historically speaking, children have been off limits, particularly in open world games or titles where players have increased freedom. Even inCyberpunk 2077, which did have visible children, players could not shoot, harm or run over the characters.
Recently,inZoi patched out the ability to harm children, after a viral video showcased a player running over child NPCs, with Kraftoncalling it an “unintended bug” that doesn’t reflect the “intent” of the game. Elsewhere,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s executive producer shared why kids aren’t part of the open world, alluding to the potential for PR problems and overall player misbehavior.
It’s incredibly likely that the promo image is simply that: a promotional image meant to highlight the level of detail that will be present in GTA 6. That, or the supposed child is just a smaller adult. Of course, we could be wrong in our assessment, but history has shown us that Rockstar is very protective of its brand.
