GTA VI is rated M by the ESRB and 18 by PEGI

Grand Theft Auto VI has its age ratings. The ESRB listing rates it M (Mature 17+) on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, and Rockstar's own GTA VI site shows the same rating. PEGI gave it an 18, and outlets such as Push Square reported both ratings on October 2.

What it means for players

For a Grand Theft Auto game this is expected: the game is meant for players 17 and up in North America and for adults in PEGI countries. The ESRB's descriptors are Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. Rockstar's site lists the same seven beside its Mature badge.

The ESRB listing and Rockstar's site also carry the In-Game Purchases notice. The ESRB's ratings guide uses it for offers of digital goods or premiums sold for real money, upgrades included. It does not say what is on sale, as Kotaku en Español points out. Keep that in mind next to Kinda Funny's unconfirmed claim that the single-player game has no monetization.

The pulled PEGI listing

PEGI posted its 18, with a detailed content summary, on Friday, October 2, and the listing was taken off its website soon after, VGC reported the next day. No reason for the removal has been reported. Later coverage, including Kotaku en Español's on October 11, still lists the game as PEGI 18. VGC adds that the ESRB rating had appeared a few days before PEGI's. A rating board's wording is not a story guide, so we are not repeating the withdrawn text.

Elsewhere, Kotaku en Español reports R18+ ratings in Australia and New Zealand, and Twisted Voxel says Australia's Classification Board gave the restricted R18+.