Rockstar Games
Contents13
- Consumer impact summary
- Incidents
- Rockstar - GTA The Definitive Trilogy
- GTA IV content removal
- GTA V move to kernel-level anti-cheat on PC after purchase
- Rockstar prevents borrowing games on Steam
- Rockstar adds arbitration agreement post-purchase (2025)
- Rockstar requiring proof of purchase for Android games
- Products
- Grand Theft Auto
- L.A. Noire
- See also
- References
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Legal Structure | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video Games |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://www.rockstargames.com/ |
Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. It is known for action-adventure game franchises such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. It is owned by Take Two.
Consumer impact summary
Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):
- User Freedom
- User Privacy
- Business Model
- Market Control
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Incidents
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Rockstar Games category.
Rockstar - GTA The Definitive Trilogy
This section is incomplete. This notice can be deleted once all the placeholder text has been replaced.
GTA IV content removal
The licensing for some songs in GTA IV expired, with updates to the game removing content post-purchase.[1] A list of removed songs can be found on Reddit's sub-forum r/Games (see adjacent reference).[2] Players who purchased a physical disk copy can enjoy the full soundtrack but cannot update without losing content.
GTA V move to kernel-level anti-cheat on PC after purchase
On 17 September 2024 (eleven years after release), Rockstar Games implemented a controversial update that included a more invasive and dangerous kernel-mode anti-cheat made by BattlEye. This update retroactively restricted GTA Online usage to the Windows operating system, despite previously being fully functional on other operating systems such as SteamOS (and other Linux distros). Despite the BattlEye anti-cheat being Linux-compatible with minimal effort, the company still chose to not support the operating system, thus leaving buyers without the product they paid for.
Due to the BattlEye anti-cheat being a requirement to run GTA V, if a customer decides not to install it they won't be able to sign in to the Rockstar Launcher even if they wish to play single player. There are workarounds for this, such as using offline mode on Steam, but the game requires license activation by logging in to Rockstar Launcher at least once upon installation. About every week the license will need to be reactivated to continue playing the single player mode.[citation needed (14 Apr 2026)]
Rockstar prevents borrowing games on Steam
While many publishers permit Steam Family Sharing, a feature that allows users to share their game libraries with other accounts, Rockstar does not allow it.[3]
Rockstar adds arbitration agreement post-purchase (2025)
As of 28 March 2025, Rockstar Games Launcher is now forcing customers to accept the current terms and conditions which were updated 28 February 2025. This includes an arbitration agreement that may only be opted out of through a letter delivered via official mail courier services.[4] This affects owners of any games through the Rockstar Games Launcher as well as Steam users who own games that require its use, completely blocking them from using the products they paid for until they agree.
Rockstar requiring proof of purchase for Android games
After introducing GTA+,[5] some older mobile GTA titles were made available through the subscription.[6] After each (re-)installation, Android users are required to send proof of purchase from Google Play for manual approval.[7][8]
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Prompt to buy the game. -
Purchase restoration form. -
Screenshot of Rockstar Games support page regarding restoration of previous mobile purchase. -
Screenshot of support page for "Already bought Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories?" error.
Products
Grand Theft Auto
- Grand Theft Auto London 1969 (1999)
- Grand Theft Auto London 1961 (1999)
- Grand Theft Auto II (1999)
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
- Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2005)
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)
- Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
- Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (upcoming, planned for 2026)
L.A. Noire
- L.A. Noire (2011)
See also
References
- ↑ "Music Updates in Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony". Rockstar Games. 11 Apr 2018. Archived from the original on 15 Apr 2026. Retrieved 2 Apr 2025.
- ↑ TransAmConnor (26 Apr 2018). "The update for GTA 4 removes songs from the ingame radio stations. Here is the list of songs removed". Reddit. Archived from the original on 10 Jun 2023. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.
- ↑ laffiie (22 Dec 2019). "Family Sharing "Buy" instead of "Play" with GTA V." Reddit. Archived from the original on 7 Jun 2023. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.
- ↑ "Rockstar Legal". Rockstar Games. 28 Feb 2025. Archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026. Retrieved 3 Jan 2026.
- ↑ "GTA+ Join". Rockstar Games. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2026. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.
- ↑ "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars Added to Games Included With GTA+". Rockstar Games. 19 Oct 2023. Archived from the original on 19 Oct 2023. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.
- ↑ "How do I restore a mobile purchase for a Rockstar Games title?". Rockstar Games. 6 May 2024. Archived from the original on 15 Apr 2026. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.
- ↑ "Already bought Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Error". Rockstar Games. 13 Dec 2024. Archived from the original on 15 Apr 2026. Retrieved 14 Apr 2026.