Steam Greenlights 'Grand Taking Ages' After PlayStation Withdrawal

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 it.

Grand Taking Ages, a management simulator where players run a game development studio, utilizes AI-generated art and voiceovers to satirize the long-awaited GTA 6. The game's initial PlayStation Store listing included unrealistic gameplay features and fabricated awards, raising eyebrows.

Following its removal, the developers, Violarte, made significant changes to secure Steam approval. These included removing "VI" from the title, updating the logo, descriptions, and visuals to clearly distinguish it from GTA 6, and clarifying the use of AI services in the voiceovers (as per Steam's AI guidelines). A new trailer and screenshots were also released.

The updated Steam page 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, engaging with their team before submission to ensure compliance with their guidelines. They cite other GTA parodies, such as Grand Theft Hamlet, as examples of acceptable parody within established genres. They've subsequently requested reinstatement on the PlayStation Store, confident the changes made will satisfy Sony.

The contrasting responses from Sony and Valve highlight the differing content moderation approaches of the two platforms. While Steam's more open policy allows for a wider range of games, including those utilizing AI, Sony's stricter curation led to the initial removal of Grand Taking Ages. GTA 6 itself is slated for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2025.