The creators of the controversial Grand Theft Auto 6 parody, Grand Taking Ages, have successfully launched the game on Steam after its removal from the PlayStation Store. Initially released on PlayStation with AI-generated assets and a May 2025 release date, Sony swiftly removed the title.
Grand Taking Ages, a game development studio management simulator, utilizes AI-generated art and voiceovers to satirize the long-awaited GTA 6. The game's initial PlayStation Store listing, featuring a "VI" suffix and art closely resembling Rockstar's style, prompted its removal.
To gain Steam approval, the developers, Violarte, made significant changes. These included removing the "VI" from the title, redesigning the logo, and revising descriptions to better distinguish the game from GTA 6. While the art still bears resemblance to Rockstar's style, it's less directly derivative. The use of AI services for voiceovers was also disclosed, complying with Steam's AI guidelines.
The Steam page features a new trailer and updated screenshots, emphasizing the parody aspect. The updated description reads:
Coming Soon Since Forever! Start your game dev journey in mom's garage! Battle angry fans, dodge ruthless journalists, and perfect the art of "creative" deadlines. Survive on pizza and energy drinks while building your dream studio into... a slightly better garage!
Violarte adopted a proactive approach with Valve, discussing the game's concept before submission, ensuring alignment with Steam's policies. They cited similar parody projects, like Grand Theft Hamlet, as examples of acceptable parody within existing game genres.
Despite Steam's approval, Violarte aims to reinstate Grand Taking Ages on the PlayStation Store, citing the changes made as sufficient to address Sony's concerns. They've submitted a request to Sony, highlighting Valve's approval as evidence of the game's revised compliance.
The contrasting approaches of Sony and Valve highlight the differing curation policies of gaming platforms. While Sony's process faced scrutiny due to the initial listing, Steam's more open approach allows for a wider range of content, including those utilizing AI-generated assets. GTA 6, meanwhile, remains on track for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
