GTA VI Age Ratings: ESRB, PEGI and Australia
GTA VI is rated M (ESRB), PEGI 18 and R 18+. Each board's descriptors, where we verified them, what is pending in Germany and Japan, and GTA V compared.
Last checked: Oct 11 2026.
GTA VI is rated for adults everywhere it has been rated so far: M for Mature 17+ from the ESRB in North America, PEGI 18 in Europe, and R 18+ in Australia. None of that will surprise anyone who has played a Grand Theft Auto game. The ESRB's list of content descriptors for GTA VI is, word for word, the same seven it gives GTA V.
What this page adds is the record of where each rating can actually be seen, and how firmly. Only the ESRB rating is on the board's own public database in full. The PEGI rating is on European storefronts, but we could not check it on pegi.info. The Australian rating is on the national database, filed as a demonstration. Germany and Japan have no rating yet.
At a glance
| Item | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ESRB (US, Canada) | M for Mature 17+ | esrb.org, rating 41627 |
| PEGI (Europe, UK) | PEGI 18 | PlayStation Store UK |
| Australia | R 18+ | classification.gov.au; PlayStation Store Australia |
| Germany (USK) | Rating pending | PlayStation Store Germany |
| Japan (CERO) | Under review | PlayStation Store Japan |
| Interactive element (ESRB) | In-Game Purchases | esrb.org |
| Same ESRB descriptors as GTA V | Yes, all seven | esrb.org |
What is counted, and how
A rating counts as verified on the board's site only if we opened the board's own database entry. A rating shown on a store page counts as store-verified. A rating reported by an outlet, without either, counts as reported.
We quote each board's descriptors exactly and add nothing to them. For what a descriptor means, we use the board's own definition. We do not describe scenes from the game, and we do not repeat the contents of a PEGI summary that appeared online on Oct 2 2026 and was deleted the same day.
pegi.info refused our request on Oct 11 2026, so the PEGI row rests on the UK PlayStation Store. We did not try to get around that.
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Every rating, and where we verified it
This is the original table of this page.
| Board | Region | Rating | Descriptors, as printed | Verified where | Date seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESRB | US, Canada | M (Mature 17+) | Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol. Interactive element: In-Game Purchases | Board site (esrb.org, rating 41627); also Rockstar Store, rockstargames.com/VI, US PlayStation and Xbox listings, and the Canadian PlayStation Store | Oct 11 2026 |
| PEGI | Europe, UK | PEGI 18 | Drugs, Sexual Content, Extreme Violence, Nudity, In-Game Purchases | Store only (PlayStation Store UK). pegi.info blocked our request | Oct 11 2026 |
| Australian Classification | Australia | R 18+ | Consumer advice: "High impact violence, sex scenes and drug use" | Board site (CLAS-1482296, classified Aug 27 2026, filed as "Demonstration (Self Selected)"); store shows Drug Use, High Impact Violence, Sex Scenes | Oct 11 2026 |
| USK | Germany | Pending | n/a | PlayStation Store Germany shows "USK Rating Pending" | Oct 11 2026 |
| CERO | Japan | Under review | n/a | PlayStation Store Japan shows "CERO Under Review" | Oct 11 2026 |
Two notes on that table.
The Australian entry is a demonstration. The database entry we opened carries Rockstar's own synopsis and the applicant Take 2 Interactive Software Pty Ltd, but its category detail is "Demonstration (Self Selected)", and its classification date, Aug 27 2026, is the day An Extended Look premiered. The entry does not say what the demonstration is, and we do not guess. The Australian PlayStation Store shows the same R 18+ for the game itself. We could not open a separate full-game entry; further requests to the database were refused, and we stopped.
Check the applicant. If you search the Australian database yourself, make sure the entry you open lists Take 2 Interactive Software Pty Ltd as the applicant, as the one we cite does. A title on its own does not tell you who filed it.
What the ratings mean, in the boards' words
ESRB, M for Mature 17+. The ESRB says M content "is generally suitable for ages 17 and up" and "may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language."
ESRB descriptors. The ESRB defines each one:
| Descriptor | ESRB definition |
|---|---|
| Blood and Gore | "Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts" |
| Intense Violence | "Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict" |
| Mature Humor | "adult" humor, "including sexual references" |
| Nudity | "Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity" |
| Strong Language | "Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity" |
| Strong Sexual Content | "Explicit and/or frequent depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity" |
| Use of Drugs and Alcohol | Combines ESRB's "Use of Drugs" (consumption or use of illegal drugs) and "Use of Alcohol" (consumption of alcoholic beverages) |
| In-Game Purchases (interactive element) | "in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency" |
Australia, R 18+. Australian Classification describes R 18+ content as "high in impact" and says R 18+ films and games "are legally restricted to adults 18 years and over." It adds that a buyer may be asked to show proof of age.
PEGI 18. Because we could not open pegi.info, we print only the descriptors as the UK store shows them and add no definitions.
Taken together, the boards tell a parent the same thing in different words: strong violence, sexual content and nudity, drug use and strong language, in a game meant for adults.
GTA V against GTA VI
| Item | GTA V | GTA VI |
|---|---|---|
| ESRB rating | M (Mature 17+) on all three of its ESRB entries | M (Mature 17+) |
| ESRB descriptors | The same seven | The same seven |
| ESRB interactive elements | Users Interact and In-Game Purchases (PC, PS5 and Xbox Series entry, and PC, PS4 and Xbox One entry); "Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB" (PS3 and Xbox 360 entry) | In-Game Purchases only |
| ESRB rating summary | A long summary describing the game's content | One short line restating the rating and descriptors |
| Australia | R 18+, "High impact themes, drug use, violence and sex, online interactivity" (GTA V Enhanced, classified Feb 27 2025) | R 18+, "High impact violence, sex scenes and drug use" (demonstration entry, Aug 27 2026) |
The content rating has not changed. What has changed is everything tied to online play. GTA V's labels mention user interaction and online interactivity because GTA Online ships with it. GTA VI's do not, which fits Rockstar's description of it as "a single player experience." Our confirmed vs rumor page separates what is official about online play from what is not, and GTA VI against GTA V compares the two games more broadly.
REPORTED, NOT VERIFIED
| Claim | Where it came from | Status as of Oct 11 2026 | What would confirm it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A detailed PEGI content summary for GTA VI | A listing that appeared Oct 2 2026 and was deleted the same day, reported by GTABoom and others (FACTS F51, R15) | Secondhand. We do not repeat its contents | A live entry on pegi.info |
| A "Sex Scenes" descriptor on Australian storefronts | FACTS F51 | Now store-verified on the Australian PlayStation Store, as part of the R 18+ advice | n/a |
Trivia
- The ESRB descriptors appear on Rockstar's own Newswire posts for GTA VI, including the Sep 17 2026 album post and the Oct 8 2026 radio post.
- GTA V has three separate ESRB entries: PS3 and Xbox 360; PC, PS4 and Xbox One; and PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.
- The Australian demonstration entry lists the country of origin as the USA and the language as English.
Sources
- ESRB, Grand Theft Auto VI
- ESRB, search results for Grand Theft Auto V
- ESRB, Ratings Guide
- PlayStation Store UK, Grand Theft Auto VI
- PlayStation Store Australia, Grand Theft Auto VI
- PlayStation Store Canada, Grand Theft Auto VI
- PlayStation Store Germany, Grand Theft Auto VI
- PlayStation Store Japan, Grand Theft Auto VI
- Australian Classification, Grand Theft Auto VI, CLAS-1482296
- Australian Classification, Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, CLAS-750795
- Australian Classification, What are the ratings?
- Rockstar Store, Buy GTA VI
- rockstargames.com/VI
- PlayStation Store US, Grand Theft Auto VI
- Xbox Store US, Grand Theft Auto VI
- GTABoom and GTAIntel reports on the deleted PEGI listing, early Oct 2026, via FACTS.md (not linked; contents not repeated)
- GTA VI Forum FACTS.md, items F50, F51 and R15
More from the archive
- Does GTA VI Have Online? What Rockstar Has Said
- Every GTA VI Character Rockstar Has Named
- Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, Explained
- Grand Theft Auto VI: What Rockstar Has Said, Against GTA V
- GTA 6 Gameplay Features: Everything Rockstar Has Confirmed
- GTA 6 Map: Every Leonida Region and Place Rockstar Named