Meet the obsessive role-players who live inside the world of Grand Theft Auto

The line separating virtual and reality is becoming blurred. GTA was never meant to be more than a form of action-adventure, crime-laden escapism. But for a game designed to mirror reality, the events are so realistic that some can forget they’re nothing more than fiction — especially when the real human streamers’ faces appear in the corner of the gameplay. Meghan Gunn takes an in-depth look at NoPixel, a form of virtual role-playing where players can customize their characters to extreme details, take on everyday lives and jobs. She also introduces us to the streamers who are making it big in there.