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In the United States, Grand Theft Auto VI is rated M for Mature 17+ by the ESRB. Its content descriptors include intense violence, blood and gore, nudity, strong sexual content, strong language, drugs and alcohol, and mature humor. For most children under 17, it is not an appropriate default choice; parents should consider the full list and their own household standards.
What is GTA 6’s age rating?
The ESRB’s official listing rates Grand Theft Auto VI M (Mature 17+). The rating is age guidance for the US market, not a determination of whether a particular child is mature enough to play.
The ESRB listing gives these content descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. It also separately displays an In-Game Purchases notice. See the ESRB rating listing and its guide to ratings and descriptors.
What should parents consider?
Look beyond violence
The official descriptors flag sexual content, nudity, language, drugs and alcohol, and mature humor in addition to violence and gore. Those categories may matter differently to different families. The descriptors identify content categories; they do not establish how often an element appears or the circumstances in which it appears.
#1 Best Overall
Make a household decision using the full list
Use the M 17+ rating as the starting point, then decide whether the listed material fits your child’s age, maturity, and your family’s expectations. The ESRB explains that a rating symbol communicates an age recommendation, while content descriptors identify elements associated with the rating or that may interest consumers.
Does the rating apply outside the United States?
The M 17+ classification is the ESRB rating for the US. Other territories use their own rating authorities, so do not assume this category applies everywhere. Rockstar’s official GTA VI page displays the US ESRB descriptors, and the PlayStation US listing repeats them. PlayStation also notes that GTA V received a separate PEGI 18 rating in Europe, illustrating that classifications differ by region.
Rank #2
- Will take full advantage of the power of new generation systems and PC to deliver across-the-board enhancements including increased resolution and graphical detail, denser traffic, greater draw distances, upgraded AI, new wildlife, and advanced weather and damage effects for the ultimate open world experience.
- The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail.
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story.
- Includes Grand Theft Auto Online, the ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe.
- All new content and gameplay created and released since the launch of Grand Theft Auto Online including new Jobs, an arsenal of new weapons, scores of new vehicles, new properties and player customizations
A report published by PC Gamer on October 4, 2026 said a PEGI 18 GTA VI entry had appeared and then been deleted. Because the reported official entry was removed, that report does not establish a stable current PEGI rating. If you need a classification for a country outside the US, consult that country’s rating authority rather than relying on the ESRB category or a removed listing.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Rank #3
- This product contains a download code inside the box — no disc is included. Customer shipments will begin arriving November 12 for pre-load; game is playable starting November 19.
- Pre-order to receive the Vintage Vice City Pack.
- Grand Theft Auto VI is a single-player experience.
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