Rockstar Games Seemingly Removes Confederate Flag From GTA Trilogy

Rockstar Games has seemingly removed the Confederate flag from GTA Vice City for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. This week, Rockstar finally pulled back the curtain and unveiled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, a new collection comprised of three remasters of GTA 3, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas. According to Rockstar Games, content-wise all three games remain the same, but they've been heavily updated, particularly in the graphical department. That said, while this is mostly true, it's not entirely accurate, or at least a new discovery casts doubt on the claim. 

Over on the GTA Reddit page, one eagle-eyed fan pointed out that GTA Vice City character Phil Cassidy can be spotted in the aforementioned trailer, and his shirt now has a skull on it rather than the Confederate flag. It's unclear why Rockstar made this change, but it's presumably a change made with modern audiences in mind or possibly a change made specifically for the trailer. Whatever the case, many think the change is the right move. However, there's also been some pushback on the removal of the flag.

"I dislike the Confederate battle flag in real life but even I'm against removing it from games," reads the top reply to the Reddit post. "The point of showing it in game was to be satirical and parody and make fun of said red necks. One of the bests ways to critique evil or s****y people is parody and comedy."

Phil Cassidy's shirt has been altered to remove the confederate flag - in a trilogy that laughs in the face of political correctness, what else have they altered to please a modern audience? Radio ads/discussions? Character dialogue ? Objectives? from GTA

At the moment of publishing, the change hasn't been confirmed, but it's hard to dispute the screenshot above. If Rockstar Games addresses the Reddit post above and the conversation it has sparked, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. 

As always, feel free to hit the comments section with your thoughts or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. Should Rockstar Games remove the Confederate flag from Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition? Meanwhile, for more coverage on the GTA Trilogy and all things gaming -- including all of the latest news, rumors, leaks, and speculation -- click here.