Rockstar Games bans Grand Theft Auto missions linked to Charlie Kirk’s assassination: Report

Rockstar Games has reportedly banned user-created missions in Grand Theft Auto Online that recreated the assassination of Charlie Kirk. According to a report by Variety, the company has also added the term “Charlie Kirk” to the list of restricted words used by its internal content-filtering system.

Further, Rockstar plans to rename the content filtering tool from the existing “profanity filter,” to a better term that reflects its broader purpose. The system is used to flag and block content the company does not want players to introduce into the game, including references to real-world events such as the Kirk assassination, not just offensive language.

Why Rockstar Games removed Charlie Kirk missions

Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative artist and co-founder of Turning Point USA was killed on September 10, 2025 during a college event in Utah.

His assassination sparked widespread political debate in the country, including discussions around gun laws and media commentary.In December, Rockstar Games introduced a new feature in GTA online that allows players to create and publish their own mission. After the launch, the feature was used by many players to create missions linked to Kirk’s death. These user-generated missions instructed players to use a sniper rifle to kill a character named Charlie Kirk.

online videos of the mission showed players positioned on a rooftop overlooking a scene resembling Kirk's assassination.

One such mission was titled “We Are Charlie Kirk,” that was later removed by Rockstar.In another news, Rockstar is currently working on “Grand Theft Auto 6,” the next main title in the franchise, which is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026. A Bloomberg report recently said that the developers of the highly-anticipated game are still finalising levels, missions and determining which features will ultimately make the final cut – essentially suggesting that the game is not yet “content complete”.

Speaking on the Ringer-Verse's Button Mash podcast, Schreier noted that the current development cycle mirrors that of Rockstar’s previous blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2."This is a big and complicated game," Schreier explained on the Ringer-Verse's Button Mash podcast, adding that he wouldn’t be ‘super shocked’ if the delay happens again.“This time around, this is a big and complicated game, and the last I heard, it was still not content complete. That is to say that people were still finishing things up, still finalizing levels and missions, and seeing what's going to make it into the game,” he said.GTA 6 has already witnessed two delays since the game's record-breaking first trailer debuted in late 2023.