Rockstar Games Bans GTA Online Charlie Kirk Missions

Rockstar Games has banned player-created missions in GTA Online that recreated the September 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The developer has also added "Charlie Kirk" to the game's content filter, though players are already finding workarounds.

The controversy erupted after footage surfaced on social media showing a mission titled "We Are Charlie Kirk." In the user-created scenario, players spawn on a rooftop overlooking a university campus setting. A sniper rifle awaits. The objective? Shoot a character standing under a canopy whilst crowd noises play.

The mission recreated the 10th September incident at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was fatally shot in the neck with a single bullet by a gunman positioned on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards away . Kirk, the 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder, was pronounced dead at hospital.

Mission Creator Backfires Quickly

Rockstar introduced the Mission Creator feature in December's "Safehouse in the Hills" update. The tool lets players design and publish custom solo missions that others can play. Within weeks, multiple Kirk assassination missions appeared.

Rockstar has added "Charlie Kirk" to the list of terms prohibited by what it refers to internally as its "profanity filter" , according to Variety. The company plans to rename this tool to better reflect its purpose beyond just blocking profanity.

Sources told Variety that Kirk-related user-generated content has been removed as it has surfaced . The original "We Are Charlie Kirk" mission is no longer available on Rockstar's servers.

Representatives for Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive declined to comment.

Cat and Mouse Game Begins

The ban hasn't stopped everyone. Players quickly adapted by using variant spellings to bypass the filter. Searching Rockstar's custom jobs site for "Kirk" or "Charlie" separately still yields missions along similar lines.

Some creators have reportedly filed missions under names like "Charlie Pink" to dodge detection. This mirrors situations seen in other games with user-generated content. Roblox faced identical problems in September 2025, ultimately removing hundreds of Kirk-related games from its platform.

Rockstar seems to be playing cat-and-mouse with some Grand Theft Auto Online players who are using newly added tools to recreate the assassination , Kotaku reports. The question is how long Rockstar will continue this pursuit.

Community Divided Over Tasteless Content

Reactions to the Kirk missions have been predictably polarised. Many condemned the content as distasteful. "This is absolutely disgusting behaviour," one commenter wrote on social media. Another added: "This is diabolic and insensitive. I'm surprised the mission is even live still. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

Others treated it as dark comedy, jokingly calling it "Mission Kirked."

The assassination remains deeply controversial. Kirk's death sparked massive discourse between conservatives and liberals surrounding gun control laws. ABC host Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily removed from his late-night series for his remarks about the incident.

A Reuters report, released in November, revealed 600 people were fired, suspended, or placed on leave from their jobs for posting about Kirk in the aftermath of his death .

The Kirk Assassination Background

The shooting occurred during Kirk's "American Comeback" tour. He was speaking at an outdoor event when alleged gunman Tyler Robinson, 22, fired from a nearby rooftop. Over 3,000 people attended, far exceeding the 600 expected by university planners.

Robinson surrendered to police the following day. He's been charged with aggravated murder, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. His preliminary hearing is set for May 2026.

Investigators discovered a bolt-action rifle, towel, and cartridge casings in a wooded area near the crime scene. The cartridges were engraved with phrases from internet memes and video games , according to charging documents.

Security at the event has come under intense scrutiny. An Associated Press review found Utah Valley University lacked several key public safety measures that have become standard safeguards. The university deployed only six officers for an event that drew thousands more than expected.

Wider Implications for User-Generated Content

This situation highlights the challenges developers face when opening games to community creation. The Mission Creator was meant to extend GTA Online's longevity and give players more creative freedom. Instead, it's become a moderation nightmare.

GTA Online isn't alone. User-generated content platforms consistently struggle with this balance. Some players will inevitably push boundaries and recreate real-world tragedies.

The timing is particularly awkward for Rockstar. The studio is preparing to launch GTA 6 on 19th November 2026, and player-made missions are expected to play an even bigger role. Many see GTA Online as a test run where it's best to iron out these kinks early.

Variety learned that Rockstar will be changing the name of its content filter to better reflect its broader purpose. The tool blocks various content types, including recreations of real-world events.

What's Next for Rockstar?

The developer faces a difficult path forwards. Simply banning terms doesn't work when players can use creative spellings. Manually reviewing every submitted mission is impractical at scale.

Rockstar could implement stricter approval processes before missions go live. This would slow down content creation but reduce the risk of offensive material slipping through. Alternatively, they could rely more heavily on community reporting and faster response times.

The company has stayed quiet on its long-term strategy. With GTA 6 approaching and expectations that player-made content will be even more prominent, they need a solution soon.

Some have suggested releasing a keyword blacklist, though that would likely trigger a Streisand Effect. Players would simply see it as a challenge to find workarounds.

For now, Rockstar continues its game of whack-a-mole, removing Kirk missions as they surface whilst players keep creating new variations. Neither side shows signs of backing down.