Jack Thompson Criticizes Florida GTA 6 Partnerships

Jack Thompson has criticized GTA 6 promotional partnerships taking place in Florida. The former attorney, known for his past campaigns against violent videogames, focused his objection on what he considers government promotion of commercial interests. He made the comments in response to PC Gamer.

Thompson said he and the journalist would have very little to discuss without an understanding that government promotion of commercial interests is "fascism." He also described the relationship as an "unholy corporatist alliance." Those expressions represent Thompson's assessment rather than an institutional description of the partnerships.

The former attorney also suggested asking the county sheriff what she thought about the arrangement. The source does not identify which county or specific initiative prompted that part of his response. No statement from the official he mentioned is included.

The criticism arrives as different GTA 6 promotional activities gain visibility across Florida. Thompson lives in the state and, according to PC Gamer, is unhappy with several partnerships connected to the game's campaign. The report does not individually list those activities or explain the role played by each public body.

Thompson was one of the most prominent opponents of violent videogames during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He argued that games such as GTA were connected to real-world violence and pushed for stricter regulation of the industry. His latest response shows that the franchise's mainstream popularity has not softened that position.

Thompson's presence in that debate was significant enough to reach television. Bill Paxton portrayed him in The Gamechangers, a BBC Two docudrama about his long-running feud with Rockstar co-founder Sam Houser. Thompson was later disbarred by the Florida Bar.

One of the defining controversies of that period was Hot Coffee in GTA: San Andreas. The mod activated abandoned code that enabled an interactive sexual sequence involving CJ and his girlfriend. In 2005, the case prompted the ESRB to change the game's rating to Adults Only, pushing it off retail shelves, while Australia banned it outright.

The United States Federal Trade Commission also became involved. It complained that Rockstar and Take-Two had not informed consumers about potentially viewable nude female characters and a potentially playable sex minigame contained on the discs. The episode became a symbol of the political and regulatory pressure surrounding GTA at the time.

GTA 6 is approaching release in a very different environment. The ESRB awarded it a Mature rating, generally suitable for players aged 17 and older, with descriptors including intense violence, nudity, strong sexual content, and the use of drugs and alcohol. A since-deleted PEGI listing carried an 18 rating and mentioned detailed decapitation alongside frequent and prominent drug use.

PC Gamer connects this change to gaming's emergence as mass-market entertainment. Entertainment Software Association figures from 2025 cited by the outlet put the average US gamer at 36 years old, with an average of 18 years spent playing games. That means some of today's parents, police officers, and politicians grew up with games including GTA.

For people planning to play GTA 6, Thompson's comments do not change its platforms, price, access, or age rating. They do show that the game's promotional presence in Florida can also prompt debate about the relationship between governments and commercial campaigns. His criticism concerns that institutional relationship rather than a newly revealed feature of the game.

It remains unclear which individual partnerships Thompson considers objectionable or whether his comments will have any practical consequences. A response from the local official he mentioned also remains an open question. PC Gamer published the comments alongside the historical context of Thompson's campaigns against GTA and other videogames.