Highlights
- A member of the World Russian People’s Council has urged a GTA VI ban, arguing the game promotes violence and moral degradation among youth.
- Only Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media censoring authority, has the legal power to restrict or ban any media content.
- The proposed ban aligns with Russia’s broader approach to video games and media content censorship.
World Russian People's Council Deputy Chairman Mikhail Ivanov, who is also a member of the Bryansk Oblast Duma, called for a Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) ban, intensifying debate over Western video games and state control of digital culture. According to Russian outlet News.ru’s report from Jan 14, 2026, Ivanov stated that GTA VI promotes violence and moral degradation among young people and is unacceptable for society's moral health.
He noted that the game could potentially corrupt the younger generation, echoing long-running rhetoric used by conservative lawmakers and public bodies against Western entertainment. Ivanov underlined the inclusion of male striptease within in-game scenarios.
Rockstar Games’ GTA VI is one of the most anticipated releases of 2026, and if Russia considers the ban, it will be made unavailable to more than 140M people. The game, for which players have been waiting for almost 13 years, has been delayed multiple times since fall 2025. It will now reportedly release in November 2026.
However, the People's Council itself has no legal authority to prohibit games or any content; that authority solely lies with the Russian watchdog, Roskomnadzor, which oversees the country's Federal List of Extremist Materials. The statement has drawn attention because it aligns closely with enforcement patterns seen in Russia’s media regulation system and Roskomnadzor’s previous stances.
Grounds for Proposed GTA VI Ban in Russia
According to News.ru, Mikhail Ivanov framed GTA VI as incompatible with what he described as Russia’s traditional values, hinting that its themes of crime, sexuality, and social satire could pose harmful psychological effects on minors. He stressed that the game should either be banned outright or heavily restricted if it enters the Russian market.
Despite being one of the biggest gaming franchises, the Grand Theft Auto series has been criticized for its themes of mass murder, kidnapping, arson, and after the reveal of the "Hot Coffee" mini-game, which was hidden within Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Previous entries in the franchise have faced age restrictions, censorship demands, or outright bans in multiple countries, including a full-series ban in the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Malaysia.
As per the report, Ivanov has argued that the long-standing popularity of GTA makes it a more influential tool, and the country’s regulators must show civic responsibility to regulate the distribution of such harmful content. He stated that the people of Russia cannot waste money on content that could undermine Russia’s traditional values, highlighting a debate of moral policing.
While there have been no further statements from Russia or Roskomnadzor, the country is notable for banning or restricting books, films, music, websites, and video games deemed to violate Russian law. Roskomnadzor has become particularly active in recent years, enforcing legislation related to extremism and Russia’s laws against what it defines as queer “propaganda.”
Roskomnadzor has blocked or restricted platforms and games such as Roblox, Flick Solitaire, MyAnimeList, Duolingo, and multiple Japanese manga-anime titles, citing alleged extremist content and violations related to LGBTQ+ themes.
Disclaimer: The original report in Russian was machine-translated.
