GTA 6 reportedly came within one vote of being refused an age rating in South Korea, which would have blocked its official release there. According to meeting minutes obtained by Korean outlet Inven and first picked up in English by RockstarINTEL, the first review ended in a 3 to 3 tie before the game was finally rated Adults Only by 8 votes to 1 on 16 October 2026.
Reported, not confirmed by Rockstar. Rockstar Games and Take-Two have not commented on the review.
- Final result: Adults Only in South Korea, decided 8 to 1 on 16 October
- First vote: 3 for Adults Only, 3 for refusal, on 10 September
- Main issue: frequent male nudity with no sexual context, not violence, crime or drugs
- Content descriptors: Sensuality, Violence, Crime, Drugs and Language
- Open question: the minutes do not say whether Rockstar changed anything
GTA 6 age rating in South Korea: the timeline
The review was handled by South Korea’s Game Content Rating Board (GCRB). Inven reports that it took three sessions and two postponements to reach a decision.
| Date (2026) | What happened, according to Inven |
|---|---|
| 1 September | Rating application submitted |
| 10 September | First review: 3 votes for Adults Only, 3 for refusal. Decision postponed with a recommendation for modification |
| 28 September | A playable build reached the committee, delayed by security concerns |
| 2 October | Second review: postponed again so members could play more of the game |
| 8 October | Meeting cancelled because too few members could attend |
| 16 October | Third review: 8 votes for Adults Only, 1 for refusal |
A refusal is not a stricter rating. It means the game cannot be officially released in the country at all, which is why members kept returning to whether they had clear legal grounds for it.
Why GTA 6 was almost refused
The debate was about nudity. Inven writes that members took issue with male nudity that appears often in the background and without any sexual context. Violence, crime and drugs were seen as roughly in line with GTA 5, which received an Adults Only rating in South Korea in 2013.
Researchers who played the build reported that the nudity was mostly background content and did not lead to any sexual interaction. The second review was pushed back because the committee wanted, in the words of the minutes:
“sufficient gameplay examination”
GCRB meeting minutes, as quoted by Inven
A rule change played a part too. South Korea revised its rating rules on nudity in September 2025, and Inven describes GTA 6 as the first major game tested against the looser wording.
What other rating boards had decided
By 16 October, ten rating bodies had already given GTA 6 an adult rating, according to the documents. Members discussed the risk of South Korea being the only country to refuse it.
- ESRB (North America) and PEGI (Europe)
- Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, South Africa and Brazil
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both reported as 21 and older
- Japan’s CERO had not decided at that point
Only the ESRB rating (Mature 17+) is one we have verified ourselves on official store pages. The PlayStation Store page we checked listed PEGI as unconfirmed, so treat the rest of that list as reported.
Did Rockstar change GTA 6 for South Korea?
That is not known. The committee recommended a modification after the first review, but the minutes do not show how that was handled or whether the scenes in question were altered. Inven also reports that the publisher asked for the result to stay private until launch day.
- Reported by Inven from the minutes: the votes, the dates, the descriptors and the reason for the debate
- Not known: whether any content was changed, and whether the Korean version differs from other regions
- Not confirmed by Rockstar: all of the above
For players in South Korea the outcome is simple: GTA 6 has its rating and launches there on Thursday 19 November 2026 like everywhere else. See our GTA 6 unlock time guide for when it goes live, and everything we know about GTA 6 for the rest. The official game page is at rockstargames.com/VI.
GTA 6 age rating FAQ
Is GTA 6 banned in South Korea?
No. According to Inven, the Game Content Rating Board gave GTA 6 an Adults Only rating on 16 October 2026 after an 8 to 1 vote.
What is GTA 6 rated?
In North America, GTA 6 is rated Mature 17+ by the ESRB. In South Korea it is reportedly rated Adults Only with the descriptors Sensuality, Violence, Crime, Drugs and Language.
Why was the GTA 6 rating delayed in South Korea?
The first vote was tied 3 to 3 over male nudity shown without sexual context. The committee then postponed twice to play the game before deciding.
Sources: Inven Global, Doohyun Lee, “‘GTA 6’ Came Close to Rating Refusal in South Korea” (11 November 2026); RockstarINTEL (12 November 2026); ESRB rating as shown on official store pages.
