What is the GTA 6 age rating?

Updated October 5, 2026: the ESRB has published its rating for Grand Theft Auto VI. The game is rated M for Mature 17+.

The ESRB entry for Grand Theft Auto VI, checked October 5, 2026, lists the platforms as "PlayStation 5, Xbox Series". Its rating summary reads: "Grand Theft Auto VI is rated M for Mature 17+ by the ESRB with Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. Also includes In-Game Purchases."

PEGI is a different story. We searched pegi.info the same day and found no entry for Grand Theft Auto VI. So the GTA 6 age rating is final for the US and Canada, and PEGI has not yet published one for Europe.

Here is what each source shows, what the content descriptors and In-Game Purchases mean, what the older games in the series received, and what the rating means for a family deciding whether a teenager can play.

What the ESRB rating says

The ESRB lists seven content descriptors for Grand Theft Auto VI: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. It lists one interactive element: In-Game Purchases.

The ESRB defines Mature 17+ in its ratings guide as: "Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language."

The ESRB says content descriptors "indicate content that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern."

What In-Game Purchases means

The ESRB lists In-Game Purchases as an interactive element, not a content descriptor. The ESRB ratings guide defines it this way: "Contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including but not limited to bonus levels, skins, music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads)."

That is the ESRB's general definition. It covers many kinds of purchases, and the label alone does not say which ones a game will offer. We make no guess about what Grand Theft Auto VI will sell.

The ESRB has a separate label, "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)", for purchases where the player does not know in advance what they will receive. The Grand Theft Auto VI entry shows the plain In-Game Purchases element, not that one.

Where PEGI stands

PEGI has published no rating for Grand Theft Auto VI. We searched pegi.info for "Grand Theft Auto VI" on October 5, 2026, and the search returned no results.

Rockstar's own online store still shows "PEGI 18 Provisional" on its Grand Theft Auto VI page, checked the same day. The word provisional matters. Until pegi.info lists the game, we treat that label as an expected rating, not a final one.

We did not reach the Australian Classification Board or the German USK databases in this check, so we make no statement about them.

What the PlayStation and Xbox store pages say

The official PlayStation US product page, checked October 5, 2026, now carries the ESRB Mature 17+ rating with the same seven content descriptors. It lists a release date of November 19, 2026 and the note "In-game purchases optional".

The Xbox US page for Grand Theft Auto VI had not caught up when we checked it the same day. Its rating block still read "Rating Pending", with the note "May contain content inappropriate for children. Visit ESRB.org for rating information." Store pages can lag behind the rating board. The ESRB entry is the one that counts.

Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto VI page now shows the ESRB Mature rating mark with the same descriptor list and In-Game Purchases.

What the old "Rating Pending" label meant

On September 29, 2026, the PlayStation page showed "ESRB Rating Pending Mature 17+". In the ESRB's own definitions, "Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+" means a game has not yet been assigned a final ESRB rating but is anticipated to be rated Mature 17+. The ESRB says the mark should be replaced once a rating is assigned. For Grand Theft Auto VI, that has now happened.

How GTA VI compares with GTA V and GTA IV

The series history is on the public record, and it is consistent.

GTA V on esrb.org (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 listing) is rated M for Mature 17+. Its content descriptors read: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol. Grand Theft Auto VI received the same seven descriptors. The GTA V listing also notes that online interactions are not rated by the ESRB.

On pegi.info, GTA V for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (released March 15, 2022) is PEGI 18, with the descriptors Violence, Bad language, Gambling and In-game purchases. The PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of GTA V are also listed at PEGI 18.

GTA IV on esrb.org (PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) is also M for Mature 17+, with Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol. The Vice City, San Andreas and GTA III Definitive Editions are all PEGI 18 on pegi.info.

Can a 12, 14 or 16 year old play GTA 6?

The ESRB rates Grand Theft Auto VI Mature 17+. In the ESRB's own words, that means content "generally suitable for ages 17 and up". A 12, 14 or 16 year old is below that age. The rating is guidance for parents. The decision stays with the family.

For contrast, the ESRB defines Teen as content generally suitable for ages 13 and up. Grand Theft Auto VI is not rated Teen.

Who enforces it? According to the ESRB's own FAQ, its rating system is voluntary, but all console makers and certain US retailers and storefronts require an ESRB rating. Ratings for boxed games come from the consensus of at least three trained raters. The ESRB also says most major US retailers have their own policies, including age checks for M and AO sales.

The ESRB points parents to console parental controls, which it says can limit spending, online play, content by age and play time. The ESRB says virtually all devices children play on include them, and they do not depend on any one game.

In Europe, PEGI describes its 18 label as applying when violence reaches gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenceless characters. PEGI 16 applies when violence or sexual activity looks the way it would in real life. PEGI has not yet said which label Grand Theft Auto VI gets.

When does GTA VI come out?

The release date is November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as Rockstar confirmed on its Newswire in November 2025. Our GTA 6 release date page tracks that date.

We will update this article when a PEGI rating appears on pegi.info, with the date we saw it. If you came here for cheat codes, the GTA 6 cheats page explains what is and is not verified. VI Cheats is an independent site and is not affiliated with Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony, Microsoft, the ESRB or PEGI.

Is GTA 6 rated M?

Yes. The ESRB rates Grand Theft Auto VI M for Mature 17+ on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, per its entry on esrb.org checked October 5, 2026.

Is GTA 6 PEGI 18?

Not officially yet. Rockstar's store page shows "PEGI 18 Provisional", but pegi.info had no Grand Theft Auto VI entry when we searched it on October 5, 2026.

Does GTA 6 have in-game purchases?

The ESRB entry lists In-Game Purchases, and the PlayStation page says "In-game purchases optional". Neither says what will be sold.

What was the GTA 5 age rating?

ESRB M for Mature 17+ and PEGI 18, per the entries on esrb.org and pegi.info.

Does the ESRB rate online play?

The GTA V and GTA IV listings on esrb.org both note that online interactions are not rated by the ESRB. Rockstar has not announced an online mode for GTA VI.