GTA 6 parody previously pulled from PlayStation store now set to release on Steam after being updated “to emphasize its unique direction,” dev wants Sony to reconsider

January 24, 2025

The GTA 6 parody game titled Grand Taking Ages, which was previously pulled from the PlayStation Store, is now geared for a July 2025 release on Steam – and the developer says recent updates designed to distinguish the game from GTA 6 should be enough to bring it back to Sony‘s storefront.

We first spotted Grand Taking Ages back in early December before it had been pulled from the PlayStation Store and before the developer reworked it. The game was previously called Grand Taking Ages 6 in an even more blatant dig at GTA 6, and it was billed as the “most anticipated game about making the most anticipated game.” At the time, the dev said the game was a “satirical take on game development and the endless wait for certain highly anticipated titles.”

To be clear, the game was and is more of a parody of game development itself and not GTA the game, tasking you with running a game studio “while juggling angry fans, corporate chaos, and endless delays.” Really, if it weren’t for the flagrant digs at GTA, I’d imagine it wouldn’t have run into any trouble.

Alas, the game sported what appeared to be AI-generated art specifically meant to mirror the look of GTA games and marketing materials, and thus Sony removed Grand Taking Ages from the PlayStation Store pretty quickly. However, now it’s popped back up on Steam with the same July 2025 release window, although with some key changes.

Talking to IGN, developer Violarte said the changes were meant “to clearly differentiate Grand Taking Ages from the original inspiration, GTA 6, and to emphasize its unique direction.” Namely, the 6 in the title was removed and the game’s logos, descriptions, and overall look were modified to further distinguish it from GTA 6.

Apparently, that was enough to get Valve‘s approval to launch the game on Steam after a “thorough” review, according to Violarte.

Looking at the game’s Steam page, it does seem like the most egregious references to GTA 6 have been removed, like the part in the old PlayStation description that read, “unlike some other devs, we actually mean” the release date. It’s still a management sim about running a game studio, and there’s definitely still a satirical tone throughout with references to “the ancient art of bug relabeling as features” and mastering “the ‘it’s not a delay, it’s additional polish’ technique,” but it’s a lot less slanted toward GTA 6 specifically.

It’s also worth noting that Grand Taking Ages still reeks of AI, and critically the Steam disclaimer specifically says “AI services used for voice overs.” This sadly isn’t terribly uncommon these days, and certainly isn’t limited to Valve’s platform, but it is worth noting.

“We genuinely believe that, with the recent updates, Grand Taking Ages is now ready to be relisted on the PlayStation Store,” Violarte said to IGN, adding that it had sent out a request to Sony pointing out the changes made. “We strongly believe that there will be no issues with Sony this time, given the adjustments we’ve implemented.”

GTA 6 is due out in Fall 2025, just a few months after Grand Taking Ages’ release date.

There has perhaps never been a more salient time to point you to our list of games like GTA we recommend playing.

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