Former Dev Explains Why Grand Theft Auto 3 Protagonist Was Silent

gameranx.com:

Grand Theft Auto has come a long way. In 2025, we will receive Grand Theft Auto VI, but looking back, the overhaul to the gameplay experience came from Grand Theft Auto 3. This was a huge title at release, filled with controversy and players spending countless hours exploring the world or causing havoc. But did you ever wonder why our main protagonist, Claude, had no voice? Fortunately, one developer recently commented on why Rockstar Games felt like keeping this character silent.

It’s hard to imagine a protagonist in the Grand Theft Auto franchise not having a voice. Since Grand Theft Auto 3, we’ve seen some massive scripts come out. Protagonists are now quite vocal, and it’s hard to imagine characters like Grand Theft Auto V’s Trevor not spewing up some nonsense. A former developer for Rockstar Games who had their hand on multiple past titles, including Grand Theft Auto 3, was questioned about the silent protagonist. Obbe Vermeij is active on the X social media account, and recently, Obbe revealed that the reason we didn’t receive a voice actor for Claude was to cut corners. 

At least part of it was that we had to cut corners. The audio dept were busy as it was.

Obbe noted that the development team opted to cut some corners and ease up on the work for the audio department. Apparently, the department was already busy with work, and this would have just put too much on the team. Of course, since this game blew up, the focus seems to be to ensure that each installment is bigger and better than the last. We’ve seen several iconic characters come out fully voiced by actors. Again, we’re going to see another installment release into the marketplace in the coming years with Grand Theft Auto VI.

Grand Theft Auto VI has only