Rockstar Games has eliminated a fan-made mission simulating the assassination of Charlie Kirk from its well-liked on-line crime sim Grand Theft Auto Online, with the writer even banning the conservative activist’s title to stop comparable missions from showing.
As reported by IGN, developer Rockstar North launched a brand new function within the A Safehouse within the Hills replace on December 10, permitting GTA Online gamers to create and share unofficial missions throughout the recreation. Not lengthy after the software was launched, nevertheless, customers started populating the mission listing with recreations of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with one titled “We’re Charlie Kirk” being maybe probably the most distinguished of them.
Now, in line with a January 13 Variety report, Rockstar Games has eliminated this and added Kirk’s title to its repository of banned phrases. Sources informed Selection that the “profanity filter” the corporate refers to internally might be renamed to underscore that the software is not used solely to flag obscenities but additionally varied dangerous content material, too.
GameSpot discovered uploads of the “We’re Charlie Kirk” mission circulating on platforms like YouTube and X. If you happen to’re aware of the assassination, then you understand how the mission performs out.
Whereas the “We’re Charlie Kirk” mission has been faraway from GTA Online, and Selection’s sources say different user-generated content material associated to Kirk is not accessible, IGN discovered on January 14 that the mission listing reportedly nonetheless options goals recreating Kirk’s assassination. A “Charlie Kirk assassination” goal appears to nonetheless pop up (possibly as a result of it’s written in Korean and made by a South Korean person, per IGN) once you search the listing for “Kirk” in English.
Rockstar Games has not responded to GameSpot’s request for remark
Charlie Kirk was a 31-year-old right-wing activist and founding father of the youth organizing group Turning Level USA who mobilized for Donald Trump. Identified for his inflammatory feedback and debate seminars, Kirk was assassinated in Utah on September 10 whereas talking about gun violence. His loss of life has raised a furor round free speech, weapons, and the character of repercussions.