Former GTA Dev and Shakespeare Company are making a Macbeth game set in Iran

The Royal Shakespeare Company is developing a video game adaptation of Macbeth in collaboration with iNK Stories, a game studio co-founded by Navid Khonsari, who is known for his work on Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas, and his wife, Vassiliki Khonsari.

As of February 11, no gameplay or in-game footage has been revealed – but Navid Khonsari did share his vision for the game in an exclusive interview with Eurogamer. 

“All of Shakespeare’s stories have transcended both time and culture, being adapted in multiple different ways… but not in this form,” Navid Khonsari told Eurogamer. 

Their goal for the game is to embrace a larger audience, one that “might not see themselves as wanting to play games.” 

According to the interview, the game will be a ‘screen-life’ thriller that utilizes live-action and interactive storytelling. The story is reportedly heavily influenced by Lady Macbeth Actress Zar Amir’s life experiences as an Iranian woman fighting gender oppression.

The game adaptation will be set in the modern day, with players taking on the role of a hacker rather than following Macbeth’s original storyline directly. Utilizing the dark web and government surveillance, the player is given the task of toppling the regime that oppresses Lili – who is the Lady Macbeth of the upcoming title.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first published in 1623, is a tragedy that explores the moral complexities of power struggles. The play has since become an enduring classic of the genre.