Topline
Rockstar Games, the company behind the hugely popular “Grand Theft Auto” video game franchise, this week stepped in to stop users from recreating the public assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk in the online version of the game, multiple industry outlets have reported.
Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally for Donald Trump on Aug. 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
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Key Facts
Rockstar has removed several player-created missions from “Grand Theft Auto Online” and added Charlie Kirk’s name to the game’s profanity filter, meaning players aren’t able to create or search for content using his name.
One mission that was pulled from publication saw users perched on a roof overlooking a scene similar to that of where Kirk was killed, and then the player was prompted to use a sniper rifle to shoot a character named Charlie Kirk, according to Variety.
The mission was titled “We Are Charlie Kirk.”
There were at least a half dozen missions related to Charlie Kirk on “Grand Theft Auto Online” before the ban, PC Gamer reported, and there are other missions that still exist using variant spellings.
Tangent
The removed “Grand Theft Auto” mission shared a name with a song that topped Spotify’s viral songs chart after Kirk was killed. “We Are Charlie Kirk,” apparently created using AI and credited to an act named Spalexma, was released days after Kirk’s death and has more than 4 million Spotify listens. “We are Charlie Kirk, we carry the flame / We’ll fight for the Gospel, we’ll honor his name,” the song’s chorus goes.
Key Background
Kirk, a right-wing political activist, was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last September. The event was hosted by his organization, Turning Point USA, which advocates for conservative politics on school campuses. The assasination instantly showcased the American political divide. President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders immediately blamed the “radical left” for the attack before a motive was confirmed. Left-leaning news outlets described Kirk as “controversial” and “divisive” in their coverage of his death, while right-leaning media called the assasination a blatant attack on conservatism. Online, some praised Kirk as a brave patriot willing to say what others wouldn’t, while others celebrated his death as deserved retribution for his views, including his well-documented support of gun rights. High-ranking officials like Vice President JD Vance pressured employers to punish employees who celebrated Kirk’s assassination online, and at least 145 people were fired or suspended for comments they made. ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show after he spoke about Kirk’s death, following threats of action from the Federal Communic