GTA 6 Age Rating: PEGI, ESRB, USK and ACB Status
Edited by Arthur HofUpdated: Last verified:
GTA 6 does not have a final age rating anywhere yet. We searched the databases of PEGI (Europe), the ESRB (North America), the USK (Germany) and the Australian Classification Board on 29 September 2026. None of them lists Grand Theft Auto VI from Rockstar Games.
So any page telling you "GTA 6 is rated 18" as a settled fact is ahead of the rating boards. What exists today is store placeholders, which we list below, and GTA V's ratings, which are a strong hint but not the same thing. The game launches on 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and the ratings have to land before then.
No rating board lists GTA 6 yet
Each board publishes its decisions in a public database. Here is what each one returned for GTA 6 on 29 September:
| Board | Region | GTA 6 status (checked 29 Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| PEGI | Most of Europe, UK | Not yet listed |
| ESRB | US, Canada | Not yet listed |
| USK | Germany | Not yet listed. The newest GTA entries are GTA V and GTA Online from 1 February 2022 |
| Classification Board | Australia | No entry from Rockstar Games |
Sony says the same on its own GTA VI page. Its FAQ states that "at the time of writing the age ratings for Grand Theft Auto VI are unconfirmed."
What the stores show: placeholders, not ratings
The PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store already display a rating field for GTA 6. None of them shows a final rating. This is Reported: store metadata, not a decision by a rating board.
| Store | What it shows |
|---|---|
| PlayStation Store (US) | ESRB Rating Pending, Mature 17+ |
| Xbox Store (US) | Rating Pending, Likely Mature 17+ |
| PlayStation Store (UK) | PEGI Provisional 18 |
| Xbox Store (UK) | PEGI 18 Provisional |
| PlayStation Store (Germany) | USK Rating Pending |
| Xbox Store (Germany) | Einstufung ausstehend (rating pending) |
| PlayStation Store (Australia) | ACB CTC |
| Xbox Store (Australia) | Check the Classification |
The ESRB's ratings guide defines "Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+" as a game that has no final rating yet but is expected to get M. Australia's "Check the Classification" means, in the Classification Board's words, that the title is still unclassified. Every label in that table says the same thing: the final rating is expected, and it is not in yet.
What GTA V was rated
This section is about GTA V, not GTA 6. These are the ratings each board gave GTA V, taken from the same databases:
- PEGI 18. The PEGI database lists the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions (15 March 2022) at PEGI 18, "not suitable for persons under 18". It cites violence against defenceless characters, motiveless killing of innocent characters, graphic violence, encouragement of gambling and strong language.
- ESRB M (Mature 17+). The PC, PS5 and Xbox Series version is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, mature humor, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, and use of drugs and alcohol.
- USK: keine Jugendfreigabe (USK 18). The PS5 and Xbox Series versions were rated on 1 February 2022 as "keine Jugendfreigabe gemäß § 14 JuSchG", meaning no release for minors.
- Australia: R 18+. The Classification Board rated GTA V R 18+ in July 2013, with Rockstar Games as the applicant. GTA Online was rated R 18+ in February 2022.
GTA 6 comes from the same studio, and every store placeholder above points the same way. Still, a rating is a decision on the finished game. Until a board publishes one, GTA V's rating is only a comparison.
What each label means
- PEGI 18: the adult classification. PEGI applies it when a game shows gross violence, apparently motiveless killing or violence towards defenceless characters.
- ESRB M: content generally suitable for ages 17 and up. It can include intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and strong language, per the ESRB.
- USK 18 (keine Jugendfreigabe): no release for anyone under 18 in Germany.
- ACB R 18+: legally restricted to adults. The Classification Board says buyers may be asked for proof of age.
Parents in any region can also set age limits on the console. Sony's GTA VI page points to the PlayStation Family app for restricting PlayStation accounts.
Australia: the rating decides whether age checks apply
In August we took apart the viral claim that Australians would have to hand over ID to play GTA 6 on launch day. That claim is still unfounded: our debunk explains why the trigger is an R 18+ classification, and GTA 6 has none.
One thing has changed since. Sony now requires age verification for Australian adult accounts. Its Australian support FAQ says that without it, you "won't be able to add Restricted (R 18+) rated games" from PlayStation Store to your library. Verification is done once per account, by facial scan or ID, through a provider called Yoti. You can keep playing games you already own without verifying.
What that means for GTA 6 depends on a rating nobody has issued yet. If the Classification Board rates it R 18+, Australian PS5 players would need a verified account to add it. If it gets a lower rating, this rule would not apply to it.
A warning about the Australian database: searching it for "GTA 6" turns up dozens of entries with names like "GRAND THEFT AUTO 6 (GTA 6)". They are automated IARC ratings for third-party titles, listed under producers such as "0pingking" and "Xbox God". None of them is Rockstar's game, and their G, PG, M or MA 15+ labels say nothing about GTA 6.
When this page will update
We check all four databases regularly. The day a board publishes a rating for Grand Theft Auto VI, this page will name it, link the database entry and give the content descriptors the board lists. Until then the status stays: pending, not yet listed.
Players in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will find the USK status, prices and language details in our German guide for the DACH region. For everything else that is confirmed, see everything we know about GTA 6, and the countdown shows how long is left.
