Russian official encourages GTA 6 ban over possible inclusion of male strippers leaked online

The near-unprecedented level of GTA 6 hype has led analysts to expect it to become the biggest entertainment launch in history, let alone just video games. However, while much of the world is excited for the next Grand Theft Auto, a Russian official has recently entertained the idea of GTA 6 being banned over the possible inclusion of male strippers, which were leaked online.

In an interview with a Russian news outlet (via Dexerto), Mikhail Ivanov, deputy chairman of the World Russian People’s Council, describes the Grand Theft Auto series as a “dangerous tool of influence”.

Ivanov is translated as saying, “The creators of GTA 6 deliberately include destructive and vulgar content in their product, completely unacceptable to the moral health of society”. He continues, “This includes the planned inclusion of scenes of male striptease in the game, which is a direct and cynical violation of basic moral norms and traditional spiritual values”.

According to Dexerto, Ivanov argues that “The admission of such content is tantamount to the growth of the younger generation”. While encouraging the idea of banning GTA 6, he reportedly tells Rockstar to “release special, cleaned of immoral content versions for our market”.

GTA 6 male strippers leak

Male strippers have not been officially confirmed for GTA 6. However, in June 2025, Gameroll_, who accurately leaked the names of the game’s dual protagonists, Jason and Lucia, revealed several unconfirmed details, including a relationship meter, over 700 enterable stores, and the inclusion of male strippers.

Although still unconfirmed, a screenshot from GTA 6 shows the car park of strip club in one of the game’s open-world areas, Port Gellhorn. The image features a small poster reading “Ladies Night,” depicting an oiled-up man provocatively covering his genitals.

Outside of this screenshot, only female strippers have appeared so far, most notably in the second GTA 6 trailer. Strip clubs have long been a staple of the Grand Theft Auto series, dating back to Vice City in 2002.

GTA 5 launched in 2013 and featured a strip club with female dancers only. The game faced significant controversy at release, and the strip club content was no exception, with GameSpot criticizing the interactive scenes for being sexist and including a groping mechanic.

If male strippers do appear in GTA 6, it remains unclear whether Rockstar would be willing to release censored versions for specific countries. The Grand Theft Auto series is no stranger to controversy, but it’s also no stranger to national bans. For example, GTA 5 was only released in Saudi Arabia in 2025, following a ban that lasted more than a decade due to its depictions of drugs and sexual violence.

Assuming male strippers are included in GTA 6, the feature would likely be entirely optional and avoidable, similar to GTA 5’s strip club interactions and other optional activities such as pursuing relationships with the game’s adult entertainers.

Seeing as it most likely wouldn’t be forced on players, it would be interesting to see how visiting a strip club might impact Jason and Lucia’s relationship, especially since the trailers frame them as a do-or-die couple.

GTA 6 is scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, following its latest delay. Although the wait for a new Grand Theft Auto since 2013 has been agonizing, Rockstar has reportedly allowed a terminally ill fan to play the game early.