Governments having a go at Grand Theft Auto is a tale as old as time, and the latest to jump into the ring is one that's picking too many fights for its own good - Russia. Mikhail Ivanov, deputy chairman of the World Russian People's Council (WRPC) and a member of the Bryansk Regional Duma, made his concerns about the upcoming title public in a recent interview with NEWS.ru.
Ivanov claims that Rockstar Games is "deliberately including destructive and vulgar content" in Grand Theft Auto 6, specifically citing rumored male striptease scenes as a "direct and cynical violation of basic moral norms and traditional spiritual values." You heard it folks - the senseless slaughter of civilians and constant missile attacks on cities in a neighbouring sovereign state are fine, but the male strippers cross the line.
According to Ivanov, "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."
Mind you, Ivanov isn't technically a federal lawmaker. The WRPC is an international public organization with UN consultative status, not a government agency. That said, the council carries considerable social influence in Russia. It's headed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, and Vladimir Putin himself has addressed its plenary sessions.
At the end of the day, what Ivanov is proposing isn't exactly novel. He wants Russian authorities to either "introduce strict legislative restrictions on the distribution of such games in the Russian Federation" or "oblige publishers to release special versions for our market that are cleansed of immoral content." It's the same playbook that countries have tried running on the Grand Theft Auto franchise for decades, with mixed success.
