IGN reports on survey results regarding in-game relationships and perceptions of cheating

IGN reported on Oct 19 2026 that a British polling company, YouGov, conducted a survey in September. This survey asked 4,000 British adults about their views on dating in a video game and whether they would consider it cheating. The article stated that about 6% of respondents considered it cheating. An additional 19% indicated they would not consider it cheating, but they would "not be okay with it." The survey results showed differences between genders, with 4% of men considering it cheating compared to 7% of women. For those who did not consider it cheating but were still not okay with it, the figures were 13% of men and 24% of women. The BBC also published an article on this poll, which IGN noted led to some backlash from players. The article mentioned that some social media users have previously expressed concerns about the depth of GTA 6's relationship mechanics, equating it to cheating on a real-life partner. IGN also reported that Rockstar Games has stated that players do not have to engage with the relationship aspect of the game if they choose not to. The article noted that Rockstar North co-studio head, Rob Nelson, told IGN that playing as the dual protagonists together feels very cool.