Russia Threatens to Block GTA 6 Release Over ‘Immoral Content’

Image Credit: Rockstar Games / Canva

Well, it looks like GTA 6 might have some trouble making its way to Russian gamers.

The highly anticipated title from Rockstar is facing potential censorship in Russia, and the reason is as controversial as you'd expect from a Grand Theft Auto game.

Rockstar’s much-anticipated GTA 6 is officially slated to launch on November 19, 2026. While the studio has remained relatively tight-lipped about many of its features, leaks have been popping up left and right.

One of those leaks points to the inclusion of male strippers for the first time in the series.

Although Rockstar Games hasn’t confirmed it, strong evidence from Trailer 2 (released in May 2025) suggests the feature is real. A “Ladies Night” poster spotted outside a strip club in Port Gellhorn shows a muscular male silhouette, fueling speculation that male dancers will appear, possibly to balance content for the female protagonist, Lucia.

Image Credit: Rockstar Games

That detail has apparently caught the attention of Russian officials, and they're not exactly thrilled about it.

Mikhail Ivanov, who serves as deputy chairman of the World Russian People's Council and deputy of the Bryansk Regional Duma, has made it crystal clear that this content could lead to GTA 6 being banned from Russian markets entirely.

Speaking in an interview with NEWS, Ivanov didn't pull any punches when discussing his concerns about the game. "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 stated. "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."

He went further, warning about the franchise’s influence:

"The popularity of the GTA makes it a particularly dangerous tool of influence. We must show civic consciousness and prevent our children from being sold the poison of corruption and permissiveness under the guise of entertainment. We should not spend money on products that destroy the foundations. It is indicative that even in other countries, developers are forced to think about age verification systems due to tightening legislation."

Ivanov urged Rockstar to release “special, cleaned of immoral content versions” for the Russian market.

Russian authorities have a track record of taking strong stances against apps, games, and movies they believe could harm young audiences.

Just recently, Russia pulled the plug on Roblox, citing concerns that the platform contained material that could "negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."

Whether Rockstar will cave to the pressure and create a sanitized version for the Russian market remains to be seen. The studio has less than a year to figure out their approach.