24.10.2026 16:10
In GTA 6, which is set to be released next month, main characters Jason and Lucia being able to spend time together and develop their relationship has reignited the debate over whether a virtual relationship counts as cheating. In a YouGov survey conducted in September with more than 4,000 British adults, about 6 percent of participants said they would consider it cheating, while 19 percent said they would have a problem with it. Women took a more negative view of the situation.
Imagine your partner flirting with someone else for hours, trying to hold their hand, and taking them out on dates. Most people would sit down and question that. But what if that person is only inside a video game?
Rockstar's highly anticipated latest game in the Grand Theft Auto series, set to be released next month, is preparing to make its mark on the entertainment world. Judging by the previews, the bond between the game's two main characters is at the center of the story.
Rockstar hints that the main characters Jason and Lucia, who resemble the famous American outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, do not necessarily have to be a romantic couple.
However, outside the main story built around crime and escape, the pair can also spend time together and develop their relationship. They can go shopping, go to bars and restaurants, and exercise together. Small interactions such as holding hands and responding quickly to each other's messages can also help strengthen the bond between them.
A STRIKING RESULT IN THE SURVEY
This idea has reignited a debate almost as old as video games themselves: If you get this deeply invested in a fictional relationship, does your real-life partner have the right to be upset about it?
In the UK, the polling company YouGov put this question to more than 4,000 British adults in September. About 6 percent of participants said they would see it as cheating, while 19 percent said they would "have a problem with it." Women were significantly more likely than men to view the situation negatively.
Alli Franco, a 30-year-old from Texas who shares anime and gaming content with more than a million followers on TikTok, says she felt "disappointed" while watching the debate online.
Speaking to the BBC, Franco says, "If your partner feels insecure because of a fictional character, that needs to be seriously considered." "It's similar to having a crush on a TV star. But because there isn't even a real person involved, it has much less to do with cheating."
Hundreds of people commenting under the video Franco shared about the topic also seemed to agree with her. Still, some had reservations.
One user wrote, "Honestly, it depends on the situation." "If you're canceling plans with your partner or directing your need for closeness toward a fictional character, that's a bit weird."
One woman we spoke to said, "It's very weird and it really makes my stomach turn."
GAMES ARE IMITATING SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
For decades, video games have allowed players to form relationships with characters not controlled by the player, namely NPCs.
In 1996's Harvest Moon, players could marry villagers; in Final Fantasy VII, they could shape the course of emotional stories; and in role-playing games such as Baldur's Gate II, they could experience more complex romantic relationships.
In the life simulation The Sims, they could flirt with computer-controlled characters, go on dates, marry, and have children. However, all these interactions were strictly bound by rules and stories written in advance by game developers.
GTA 6, however, appears set to offer a more dynamic experience. Through a wider range of interactions and choices in the open world, players will be able to shape the relationship between Jason and Lucia.
Arienne Ferchaud, an associate professor at Florida State University who researches how people form bonds with fictional characters, says, "As games improve, the likelihood of players disconnecting from the experience they are immersed in decreases." "Games are becoming increasingly successful at imitating reality and social relationships."
THE NEXT LEAP IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Grand Theft Auto 6 may represent the most advanced point game design has reached today. But the next big leap could come thanks to artificial intelligence.
Nvidia, Ubisoft, and other major technology companies are already testing generative AI systems that enable players to have more natural conversations with NPCs. In the future, game characters may remember past encounters, react to what the player does, and form relationships that change over time, instead of following a pre-written script.
Ferchaud thinks this could lead players to become even more immersed in games. "You might find yourself in relationships that make you feel more secure or more special," she says. However, she argues that AI in its current form will still create "a stronger illusion" rather than a truly meaningful bond.
Whether this is exciting or unsettling may vary from player to player. Indeed, there is also some pushback against the more widespread use of this technology in games.
Franco says she has already seen ads for AI chatbots that allow fans to talk to their favorite anime characters. "I can easily imagine AI being integrated into games to make the experience more realistic," she says. "But even if that happens, I would still see it as just a game. After all, you can't cheat on someone with lines of code."
We used artificial intelligence in the translation of this article, whose original is in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication.