Sony Pulled GTA 6 Parody Game Grand Taking Ages From the PlayStation Store — but It’s Now Cleared for Release on Steam

The creators of the satirical game Grand Taking Ages, a parody of the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6, have relaunched their project on Steam following its removal from the PlayStation Store by Sony. The game, developed by Violarte, is pitched as a management simulator where players navigate the challenges of running a game development studio.

Initially, Grand Taking Ages VI surfaced on the PlayStation Store with a release date set for May 2025, featuring what appeared to be AI-generated artwork and a list of exaggerated gameplay features alongside fictitious awards from gaming websites. Despite allowing users to wishlist the game, Sony eventually delisted it. However, after making significant adjustments, Violarte successfully got the game approved for Steam.

These adjustments included removing the "VI" from the title, revising the game's logo, and altering its descriptions and visual presentation to distance it from GTA 6 while maintaining a parody theme. Despite these changes, the game still employs generative AI, particularly for its voice overs, as disclosed on its Steam page.

The new Steam description humorously outlines the game's premise:

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 engaged with Valve's team before the official submission, which helped align the game with Steam's guidelines. The developer cited other successful parodies like Grand Theft Hamlet as justification for their project's validity, emphasizing the cultural value of parody in gaming.

Violarte is now aiming to have Grand Taking Ages reinstated on the PlayStation Store, citing the successful approval on Steam as evidence of the game's legitimacy post-modifications. They expressed confidence that Sony would find no issues with the updated version.

The incident with Grand Taking Ages VI on the PlayStation Store raised questions about Sony's vetting process, while Valve's more permissive approach to content on Steam is well-known. The use of generative AI in gaming content continues to grow, sparking discussions about quality and originality across various platforms.

Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S in the fall of 2025.