Authorities in Tajikistan have claimed that there's a link between GTA and Counter-Strike games and youth crime rates.
Being able to play Grand Theft Auto is becoming more and more of a privilege as time goes by. Sadly, GTA fans in Tajikistan have just lost this privilege — in legal terms, at least. The country's authorities have announced a sweeping ban on all Grand Theft Auto games, citing concerns over violence and their alleged influence on criminal behavior.
The announcement, made through the Dushanbe Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' official channels, doesn't single out any specific GTA title, instead opting for a comprehensive ban that appears to cover the entire series. This means that when GTA 6 hits shelves in Fall 2025, Tajik gamers might be left watching from the sidelines.
GTA isn't the only franchise hit by this new misguided ban ruling. Valve's first-person shooter series Counter-Strike has also found itself on the wrong side of this new regulation. To make things worse, Tajikistan isn't just stopping at prohibiting sales.
Local authorities in Dushanbe, the capital city, are planning to conduct active raids and inspections of gaming centers to ensure compliance. Parents have received official warnings to keep their children away from these games, which the ministry claims "contain elements of rape, murder, and robbery."
According to Tajik authorities, this isn't just moral panic, as they claim their law enforcement analysis has revealed a concerning pattern of younger people committing various crimes after "regular involvement in such games."
For Rockstar Games, this isn't their first rodeo with government restrictions. The studio has a long history of dealing with regional bans and censorship. From Australia's temporary ban of GTA 3 to the year-long prohibition of Manhunt 2 in the UK, the company has somehow found ways to adapt their content to meet local requirements.
Sometimes these adaptations have been quite specific, like modifying GTA Online to comply with gambling laws in certain regions, where features like buying chips and playing roulette had to be restricted.
GTA 6 is expected to release next fall, and a lot of fans around the globe are debating when the next trailer will drop. Unfortunately for GTA fans in Tajikistan, they might end up missing out entirely on what's shaping up to be one of gaming's most anticipated releases.
There's a chance that Rockstar might consider creating a modified version for the Tajik market, but that remains to be seen—though given the country's relatively small gaming market, such an accommodations seem unlikely.
Ever since Caleb discovered GTA 3, he has taken it upon himself to learn everything there is to know about the fictional worlds created by Rockstar Games. His obsession with Red Dead Redemption earned him the nickname John Marston. Thankfully, GTA V was released a few years later, and he found a new game to fixate on. Now, he simply crawls the web like a bot, searching for every bit of information that might give him a headstart on GTA 6. It's just a matter of time before he succeeds.
