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<p>As video games become increasingly mainstream in the US, particularly among younger populations, they become a form of media worthy of further attention. This article explores three popular video games from the last twenty years with ethno-religious representations: <i>Red Dead Redemption</i>, <i>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas</i>, and <i>Cyberpunk 2077.</i> Drawing in part on <i>bandido</i> archetypes, each one positions criminality and Catholicism—and oftentimes, both in conjunction—as defining traits for Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Game developers use Catholic iconography to construct portrayals of Mexican and Mexican American culture. Some of these portrayals parallel and/or anticipate familiarity with real-world space-making practices seen in Latinx communities. By focusing on digital representations while considering both narrative and gameplay, this article explores how Catholicism is incorporated within video games’ semiotic networks to create characters and spaces intended to be legible as Mexican and Mexican American.</p>

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Virtual saints, digital deviants: Catholicism and Mexican/Mexican American representation in video games

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月1日

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  • Tatyana Castillo-Ramos

摘要

As video games become increasingly mainstream in the US, particularly among younger populations, they become a form of media worthy of further attention. This article explores three popular video games from the last twenty years with ethno-religious representations: Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Cyberpunk 2077. Drawing in part on bandido archetypes, each one positions criminality and Catholicism—and oftentimes, both in conjunction—as defining traits for Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Game developers use Catholic iconography to construct portrayals of Mexican and Mexican American culture. Some of these portrayals parallel and/or anticipate familiarity with real-world space-making practices seen in Latinx communities. By focusing on digital representations while considering both narrative and gameplay, this article explores how Catholicism is incorporated within video games’ semiotic networks to create characters and spaces intended to be legible as Mexican and Mexican American.