GTA 6 Ban Called For By Massive European Country, Uh Oh

It looks like a large portion of GTA VI gamers might miss out on the Rockstar Games title if it's banned in this huge European country.

No matter what massive AAA games are set to arrive in 2026, they will likely be under the shadow of the goliath that is the Grand Theft Auto series. Even before Rockstar Games released the first GTA VI trailer in December 2023, hype for the game was already through the roof, and that hype will continue to build as we edge closer to its November launch, assuming it suffers no further delay.

Fan anticipation for GTA VI, no matter where they are in the world, is at an all-time high. Sadly, however, it looks like there could be a chance that this European nation could miss out.

The Launch of GTA VI Is Potentially Under Threat in Russia

As brought to our attention by Comicbook.com (via News.ru), the deputy chairman of the World Russian Peoples Council, Mikhail Ivanov (who is not a government official), believes that GTA VI could corrupt the minds of impressionable youths with its immoral content. Where have we heard this line before?

First of all - yes, Russia is European. I had to look this up. Quick geography lesson - Russia stretches across two continents, Europe and Asia, making it the largest country in the world by area. About 75% of the population lives in the European portion, which means a lot of fans could be left disappointed.

The alleged influence of video games corrupting the minds of us human folk, especially when it comes to violence, is a tale as old as time. Whenever a violent tragedy occurs, there’s a good chance that video games might get the blame, right or wrong.

A strip club in GTA VI, Rockstar Games

It seems that Ivanov has suggested to Rockstar Games to either cut content from GTA VI or ban it from sale in Russia.

“The creators of Grand Theft Auto VI are deliberately including destructive and vulgar content in their product, which is completely unacceptable to the moral health of society,” stated Ivanov.

“This includes 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."

“Allowing such content is tantamount to corrupting the younger generation. We need to either impose strict legal restrictions on the distribution of such games in Russia or require publishers to release special versions for our market, cleared of immoral content.

He concluded: “GTA’s popularity makes it a particularly dangerous tool of influence. We must demonstrate civic responsibility and prevent our children from being sold the poison of corruption and permissiveness under the guise of entertainment.”

Interestingly, the concerns raised regarding GTA VI corrupting the minds of youths are with the game having “scenes of male striptease”, but the female variety was not mentioned.

I would assume that all dances, like in GTA V, will be optional, so they should be easily avoidable if that’s not your cup of tea. Plus, it’s an 18-rated game.

Could GTA VI Be Banned in Russia?

Anything is possible in this day and age. I would assume that, considering how much of a large nation Russia is, Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Interactive would not want to lose that market share.

On the flip side, I would also assume that Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games wouldn't want to compromise their game by shredding content. I’d be very surprised if GTA VI gets banned in Russia or has content cut.

I guess we’ll just have to wait to see how this story develops in the coming months.

Grand Theft Auto VI is currently scheduled to be released on 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.