GTA 6 Age Rating Runs From 17 in the US to 21 in Saudi

Japan was the last big market to show its label. Nine verdicts are now in, and Australia's R18+ is the same band GTA 5 got in 2013.

By Dana WhitlockPublished 17 Oct 2026Last updated 17 Oct 20264 min read

a green lifted Canis off road truck with WARNING lettering on its front bumper in a Rockstar Games image for GTA 6 — Image: Rockstar Games. Official promotional image used for news reporting.

The short version

GTA 6 is rated 18 in Europe, Germany, Japan, Australia and Brazil. The ESRB rates it M for Mature 17+ in the US, South Korea rates it not for youth, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE rate it 21. Australia gave it R18+ on 27 August 2026, the same band GTA 5 got in 2013.

Quick answer

What is the GTA 6 age rating?

The GTA 6 age rating is 18 in most of the world, including Europe, Germany, Japan, Australia and Brazil. The ESRB rates it M for Mature 17+ in the US, and South Korea rates it not for youth. Saudi Arabia and the UAE rate it 21, the highest number on the list.

Japan was the last big market without a label. Its CERO Z rating showed up on store pages on 17 October, a day after South Korea's board made its call. With a month to go before the 19 November 2026 launch, every major market now has a verdict on GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI).

A roundup posted by videotech on X on 17 October lists nine of them. We checked each one against the rating board or the platform store page, and all nine hold up.

Country	Rating body	GTA 6 rating	What it flags	Checked against
United States	ESRB	M for Mature 17+	Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong sexual content, drugs and alcohol	ESRB website
Europe and UK	PEGI	18	Drugs, sex, violence	Xbox UK store
Germany	USK	18	Drastic violence, drugs, criminal role models	USK database
Japan	CERO	Z, 18 and over only	Crime, violence	PlayStation Store Japan
Australia	Classification Board	R18+	High impact violence, sex scenes and drug use	Australian Classification
South Korea	GCRB	Not for youth (adults only)	Not published in reports	Inven, ETNews
Brazil	ClassInd	18	Sexual content, drugs, inappropriate language, violence	Diário Oficial da União
Saudi Arabia	GMEDIA	21	No descriptors on store pages	PlayStation and Xbox Saudi stores
UAE	NMA	21	No descriptors on store pages	Xbox UAE store

What is GTA 6 rated in the US and Europe?

The ESRB rates GTA 6 M for Mature 17+, and PEGI rates it 18 across Europe and the UK.

The ESRB listing for PS5 and Xbox Series names seven content descriptors. They are blood and gore, intense violence, mature humour, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content and use of drugs and alcohol. It also flags in game purchases.

PEGI keeps it shorter. The Xbox UK store page shows PEGI 18 with three descriptors, drugs, sex and violence, plus in game purchases.

the pale green nose of a classic car with a round headlight and a chrome wire wheel in a Rockstar Games image for GTA 6 — Image: Rockstar Games. Official screenshot used for news reporting.

Is GTA 6 rated higher than GTA 5 in Australia?

No. GTA 6 is R18+ in Australia, and GTA 5 got the same R18+ rating in July 2013.

The Australian Classification database shows the board rated GTA 6 R18+ on 27 August 2026. The consumer advice reads high impact violence, sex scenes and drug use. The applicant was Take 2 Interactive Software, the publisher's Australian arm.

What changed is the reason, not the band. GTA 5's 2013 decision puts only drug use at high impact, with violence and sex rated strong. For GTA 6, violence, sex and drug use all reach high impact on the board's table.

Why is GTA 6 rated 21 in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

Both countries have a 21 band above 18, and GTA 6 sits in it. That makes them the strictest markets on the list.

Saudi Arabia's media regulator, GMEDIA, rated the game 21 and over. TwistedVoxel reported the rating on 1 October and says 21 is the top category in the Saudi system. The Saudi PlayStation page shows a GMEDIA 21 badge, and the Saudi Xbox store says suitable for ages 21 and above.

The FAQ further down that same PlayStation page still says GTA 6 age ratings are unconfirmed. The badge at the top is the one to trust. In the UAE, the Xbox store shows a 21 label from the national media regulator, listed as NMA.

What did Brazil rate GTA 6?

Brazil rated GTA 6 not recommended for under 18s in the Diário Oficial da União, Brazil's government gazette, on 9 October 2026.

Portal Viciados spotted it first, and Estadão's Voxel confirmed it. The Ministry of Justice analysis, number 598/2026, was signed on 8 October. It lists sexual content, drugs, inappropriate language and violence, plus online purchases and adult content.

The record names Solutions 2 GO do Brasil as the local distributor, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Estadão notes that Brazilian digital stores still showed the rating as pending at the start of October.

Will any country get a cut version of GTA 6?

Nobody knows yet, because Rockstar Games has not announced changes for any country. The ratings themselves do not say a version was edited.

Germany's question is whether its USK 18 version is uncut, and our USK 18 report tracks that. Japan's CERO Z icons match GTA 5 exactly, which our Japan rating story explains, and Korea's decision is in our Korea rating report.

If you are buying GTA 6 for someone else, check your country's band in the table above before 19 November. The GTA 6 FAQ covers launch times and editions.

Frequently asked questions

What age rating is GTA 6?

It depends on the country. GTA 6 is rated 18 in Europe, Germany, Japan, Australia and Brazil, M for Mature 17+ in the US, not for youth in South Korea and 21 in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Is GTA 6 rated M?

Yes. The ESRB rates GTA 6 M for Mature 17+ for blood and gore, intense violence, mature humour, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content and use of drugs and alcohol. It also lists in game purchases.

Is GTA 6 rated higher than GTA 5 in Australia?

No. Both are R18+. The Classification Board rated GTA 6 R18+ on 27 August 2026 and GTA 5 R18+ on 31 July 2013, according to the Australian Classification database.

Why is GTA 6 rated 21 in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia's media regulator, GMEDIA, rated it 21 and over. TwistedVoxel reports that 21 is the top band in the Saudi system. The Saudi PlayStation and Xbox stores both show the 21 label.

What is GTA 6 rated in Brazil?

Not recommended for under 18s. Brazil's Ministry of Justice published the rating in the Diário Oficial da União on 9 October 2026, citing sexual content, drugs, inappropriate language and violence.