GTA 6 Age Rating Details Frequent Drug Use, Graphic Violence and Strong Sexual Themes
A PEGI 18 listing for Grand Theft Auto 6 was posted and quickly removed, but screenshots show what it says about drugs, violence and sexual content.
What the rating says
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been given a PEGI 18 age rating, and the details have fans talking. The listing appeared on the Pan European Game Information website and was taken down shortly afterwards. By then, players had saved screenshots and shared them on social media.
The most discussed part is drug use. According to the listing, it is "frequent and prominent." Players can take drugs with other characters and use illegal drugs "directly from their inventory." The text singles out cocaine, saying it can be carried and "snorted directly from their hand at any time."
Eurogamer notes that earlier games in the series centred on the drug trade, but their protagonists rarely used the product themselves. It points out that GTA 5 and GTA Online had optional bongs, which were generally limited to player-owned apartments.
Violence, sexual content and language
The rating describes the game as having frequent violence. Because the game is free roam, players can harm any character in the world, including civilians, criminals and the authorities. PEGI calls the violence "bloody with a high degree of realism." It says some weapons can cause "detailed decapitation and dismemberment."
PEGI also lists "strong sexual themes," including nudity, scenes of intercourse and "occasional scenes of sexual fetishes." It says players can pay for private dances in nightclubs, and the game lets them touch the dancers inappropriately. Eurogamer reports that a separate rating earlier the same day suggested GTA 6 could be the first game in the series to directly show sex scenes.
Under "other issues," the listing says domestic animals can be harmed, though not in the same detail as humans. It says one strong expletive appears prominently and another only occasionally. It also says discriminatory language can be heard in in-game TV shows and radio channels.
The story behind the listing
The description names the two lead characters, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. It calls them criminals who become involved in a conspiracy after a failed robbery and grow more entangled in crime in Vice City.
IGN updated its report to say that PEGI appeared to have removed the page. The address now shows a "page could not be found" message. IGN says it has asked PEGI for comment. The sources do not say why the listing was removed or whether the text will be reposted.
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What it means for you
If you plan to buy GTA 6, or are considering it for someone younger, the PEGI 18 label is the highest PEGI age rating. The listing text gives a more detailed picture of the mature content than the standard "M for Mature" label from the ESRB.
IGN says the game is due in November. Watch for any official PEGI statement and for more ratings from other boards ahead of launch.
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