Why does every new game reveal get called "woke"?
What YouTube comments on 15 games really say about the "woke" argument, with the numbers
The context
Rockstar Games released the first Grand Theft Auto VI trailer on December 4, 2023, after it leaked online shortly before its scheduled premiere. The studio had confirmed the game was in development in February 2022. The trailer announced a 2025 release.
The game features two protagonists, Lucia Caminos and Jason. Lucia is the first female lead character in the Grand Theft Auto series.
In May 2025, Rockstar pushed the release back to 2026, and the game was then set for May 26, 2026. In November 2025, the studio announced a further delay to November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders have since opened. No PC version has been announced.
Sources: GTA 6 : tout ce que l'on sait (GamesRadar) · GTA 6 hub : date de sortie et personnages (Red Bull) · Grand Theft Auto VI : chronologie de l'annonce (GTA Wiki)
Factual background compiled from public sources — the debate analysis below relies exclusively on the comments.
How we got here
as told by the commentsOn Witcher videos, the argument starts with the Netflix show: Henry Cavill's exit and writers accused of looking down on the source material. Commenters then reuse that grievance as a lens on the game.
Around The Witcher 4, heavily liked comments ask whether quests and writing can be "unwoked" and call the studio "DEI infused". The doubt targets the writing, not just a character's face.
Tomb Raider: Catalyst packs most of its comments into a single day: refusals to buy, "leave our classic characters alone", and doubts that the "modern audience" exists.
The pattern spreads: on Fable, a highly liked comment jokes about a team looking like an HR department; on Jurassic Park: Survival, one commenter objects to a possible female lead.
After GTA VI's gameplay reveal, pushback dominates: comments with 10,000+ likes mock the "woke" label pinned on a female lead. Turok: Origins and Gears of War: E-Day replay the scene on a smaller scale.
The Witcher 4
~18% of the discussion on this gameSuspicion of an agenda attaches to a character's face, the studio's hiring and the Netflix show, which commenters tie to the game. The topic makes up ~18% of measured discussion.
Anti-woke 80 %
Diversity 20 %
Fable
~12% of the discussion on this gameThe topic stays low-key: one highly liked joke about a team looking like an HR department. It makes up ~12% of measured discussion, in a debate dominated by humor about the demo.
Anti-woke 100 %
Diversity 0 %
Jurassic Park: Survival
~15% of the discussion on this gameIn the sample, the issue boils down to an ironic remark about the lead character's gender. The topic is measured at ~15% of discussion, but most comments are about Alien: Isolation and the release date.
Anti-woke 100 %
Diversity 0 %
Clockwork Revolution
~6% of the discussion on this gameNo explicit accusation appears in the sample: the closest thing is the warm reception for the character creator. The topic is measured at ~6% of discussion.
Anti-woke 0 %
Diversity 100 %
Tomb Raider: Catalyst
~15% of the discussion on this gameNearly all comments date from December 20, 2025 and reject the franchise's supposed direction (refusals to buy, criticism of the studio). The topic makes up ~15% of measured discussion.
Anti-woke 95 %
Diversity 5 %
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
~9% of the discussion on this gameThe topic shows up only in small touches around the title and the Captain America / Black Panther duo, without a direct accusation. It makes up ~9% of discussion, which is dominated by the wait for a release date.
Anti-woke 35 %
Diversity 65 %
Halo: Campaign Evolved
~9% of the discussion on this gameThe debate is mostly about the remake's fidelity, though an identity angle surfaces in a few ironic comments. The topic is measured at ~9% of discussion.
Anti-woke 50 %
Diversity 50 %
God of War Laufey
~20% of the discussion on this gameThe topic is measured at ~20% of discussion, but the supplied extract contains no comment on this game. The positions therefore can't be detailed here.
Anti-woke 50 %
Diversity 50 %
Turok: Origins
~6% of the discussion on this gameBetween irony about the hero's skin color and praise for an Indigenous woman warrior, identity sits alongside a fidelity row over the N64 series. The topic makes up ~6% of discussion.
Anti-woke 55 %
Diversity 45 %
Grand Theft Auto VI
~11% of the discussion on this gameHere the row shows up mostly through pushback: the most-liked comments defend the female lead against the "woke" label. The topic makes up ~11% of measured discussion.
Anti-woke 20 %
Diversity 80 %
Star Wars: Zero Company
~3% of the discussion on this gameThe extract holds no explicit exchange on the topic: comments focus on XCOM-style gameplay and humor. The topic is measured at ~3% of discussion.
Anti-woke 50 %
Diversity 50 %
Marvel's Wolverine
~12% of the discussion on this gameThe row appears as sarcasm about Logan being "replaced", buried in a flood of disappointment. The game's defenders push back against what they call "hate". The topic makes up ~12% of discussion.
Anti-woke 15 %
Diversity 85 %
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4
~10% of the discussion on this gameThe extract contains no "woke" accusation: comments focus on animations, readability and visual style. The topic is measured at ~10% of discussion.
Anti-woke 50 %
Diversity 50 %
Gears of War: E-Day
~6% of the discussion on this gameA lone comment rejects what it calls "Gears of Feminism" over a female soldier. The topic makes up ~6% of discussion, which is dominated by PC system requirements.
Anti-woke 100 %
Diversity 0 %
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
~12% of the discussion on this gameThe topic is limited to romances between characters, ranging from suspicion of box-ticking to enthusiasm. It makes up ~12% of measured discussion, which is mostly about difficulty and ads.
Anti-woke 35 %
Diversity 65 %
Frequently asked questions
- Which games are caught up in "woke" accusations?
- In the sample, The Witcher 4 and Tomb Raider: Catalyst draw the most explicit accusations. Jurassic Park: Survival, Fable, Turok, Gears of War: E-Day, Fire Emblem and GTA VI show a thinner share. Weight ranges from ~3% to ~20%.
- Why is The Witcher 4 targeted?
- According to commenters, the suspicion stems from the Netflix show and Henry Cavill's exit, then the studio's hiring. Highly liked comments doubt the quests and writing can be "unwoked". The topic makes up ~18% of discussion.
- What do defenders of character diversity reply?
- On GTA VI, the most-liked reply (16,000+) calls it insane to label a game "woke" over a female lead. Others note that the first GTA already had a female character.
- Does this debate involve gameplay?
- Very little. Comments often judge before any gameplay is seen: calls not to preorder over the studio's hiring, refusals to buy Tomb Raider: Catalyst, doubts about the "modern audience".