Russia just threw a massive tantrum over Grand Theft Auto 6, threatening to ban the highly anticipated game unless Rockstar removes some deeply specific “immoral content,” as per Dexerto. You’d think the biggest issue for a country looking to censor a GTA title would be the usual violence, theft, or explicit drug use, but nope, the specific point of contention is the leaked inclusion of male strippers.
The man leading this charge is Mikhail Ivanov, the deputy chairman of the World Russian People’s Council. Ivanov took direct aim at the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise, describing the series as a “dangerous tool of influence.”
He really went off on the developers, blasting that “The creators of GTA VI deliberately go to include destructive and vulgar content in their product, completely unacceptable to the moral health of society.” He specifically targeted the controversial inclusion, stating that the “planned inclusion of scenes of male striptease in the game, which is a direct and cynical violation of basic moral norms and traditional spiritual values.”
Ivanov isn’t just complaining, he’s demanding action
He called on the developers “to release special, cleaned of immoral content versions for our market.” It appears he views the simple inclusion of the content as an endorsement of it, which is an awful take on creative freedom in gaming. He even seemed to refer directly to the leaked details that have been confirmed, saying that “The admission of such content is tantamount to the growth of the younger generation.”
GTA 6 is still a ways off, currently set to drop on November 19, 2026. Rockstar has been trying to keep the game’s details tightly under wraps, but a massive set of features and tidbits leaked last year, which unfortunately even resulted in some developers being fired. Rockstar confirmed these leaks were legitimate. The leaks covered everything from the game’s story length and core gameplay mechanics to, yes, the random detail about the male strippers that has caused this.
While this demand sounds extreme and incredibly frustrating for players who just want the full experience, it wouldn’t be the first time a major title has been altered for specific regions. Sometimes developers have to make compromises just to get their products into certain markets. Back in 2023, for example, the Overwatch 2 Pride event had to be banned in several Middle Eastern countries to comply with local laws and customs. Russia also recently banned Roblox, citing “inappropriate content.”
It’s going to be fascinating, and honestly a bit stressful, to see how Rockstar handles this situation. Do they stand firm on their creative vision for GTA 6, or do they cave to the pressure and create a censored version just for one massive territory? The cost of ignoring a market this large could be huge, but watering down the experience for one group might set a terrible precedent for future titles.
Published: Jan 20, 2026 03:30 pm