Grand Theft Auto VI has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB, with Rockstar Games adding the rating to the game’s store pages. The board’s content descriptors list blood and gore, intense violence, mature humor, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, and use of drugs and alcohol.
PEGI has issued a similar rating of PEGI 18. IGN reported that the ESRB has not yet published its longer breakdown, the section that typically describes the specific scenes and mechanics behind the summary descriptors.
The in-game purchases line
The ESRB listing also carries an in-game purchases notice. Rockstar said earlier this summer that there are “no monetizations in this game.” IGN’s reading is that the notice refers to the upgrade from the standard edition to the Ultimate Edition, which adds cosmetics, stores and missions, rather than to microtransactions. Rockstar has not commented on the game’s online mode, which IGN reports is not expected to launch alongside it.
A ratings flashpoint before
IGN noted that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was re-rated Adults Only in the mid-2000s after modders restored an interactive sex mini-game that had been cut from the shipped game but left in its files. The AO rating removed the game from retailers, prompting a recall and scrutiny from government officials.
Sexual content remained in later entries. Grand Theft Auto IV and V allowed players to pick up sex workers, with limited player input over how the scene played out. What Grand Theft Auto VI will contain beyond strip clubs is not yet known.
Rockstar is in the late stages of the game’s promotional campaign, having put up signage in Miami, sent swag boxes to influencers, and announced a $400 collector’s set that drew criticism for not including a copy of the game. IGN placed the launch fewer than 50 days away as of October 1.
