Grand Taking Ages, initially removed from PlayStation Store, is now on Steam after changes addressing confusion with GTA 6.
Grand Taking Ages, initially removed from the PlayStation Store, has found a new home on Steam. This comes after the game's creator, Violerate, made significant changes to address concerns raised by platform holders about how its name is easily confused with Rockstar Games' upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto 6.
Originally, Grand Taking Ages was much more on the nose, called Grand Taking Ages VI. The name unsurprisingly became controversial right from the get-go for its name and striking similarities to GTA 6. It certainly didn't help that it used AI-generated artwork (boo!) that closely resembled Rockstar's iconic style.
Remember back when Volition released content for Saints Row IV called 'GAT V'1? Yeah, this is kind of like that.
After raising eyebrows in its initial appearance on the PlayStation Store, Sony moved quickly to remove its listing. Undeterred by the setback, Violarte took a different approach with Valve, the company behind Steam.
Violerate confirmed to IGN that it engaged in early discussions with Valve's team, presenting the concept and tweaking certain aspects to align with the platform's guidelines before officially submitting the game. The most noticeable alteration is the removal of "VI" from the title, distancing it further from direct association with GTA 6. The developer also revamped the game's logo, descriptions, and overall presentation to emphasize its unique direction and parody nature.
The developer's hard work appears to have paid off as Valve has now approved Grand Taking Ages for release on Steam where players can now wishlist it ahead of its launch in July 2025.
Grand Taking Ages **Steam now features a new trailer and updated screenshots, showcasing its satirical take on video game development. It's described as a management simulator where players run a game development studio, tackling various challenges and obstacles faced by real-world developers. This concept allows Violarte to poke fun at the extended development time of many titles, including_GTA 6, all the while offering a potentially entertaining gameplay experience.
Despite these changes,_Grand Taking Ages_still incorporates generative AI elements, particularly in its voice-overs. In compliance with Steam's AI disclosure rules, Violarte has openly stated the use of AI.
Violarte defends its project from critics by drawing parallels to other GTA-inspired parodies like_Grand Theft Hamlet_, a documentary about actors staging Shakespeare's play within GTA Online that actually got a theatrical release complete with an official trailer. The developer argues that these examples demonstrate how parodies can celebrate and entertain within existing genres while remaining creative and engaging.
With its successful relisting on Steam, Violarte is now setting its sights on a return to the PlayStation Store.
Take-Two Interactive has yet to release a statement regarding_Grand Taking Ages_but as the story goes viral, it might be only a matter of time before we find out if it will take legal action, similar to what it did with two recent projects, particularly_GTA Vice City: Next-Gen Editionand theLiberty City Preservation Project_.
