GTA 6 has received an age rating of PEGI 18, revealing mentions of “decapitation,” the ability for players to snort cocaine at any time, “scenes of sexual fetishes,” and much more.
The update, which can be found on the Pan European Game Information board’s website, gives players a relatively in-depth description of Rockstar Games’ megaton video game ahead of its launch in November. The PEGI 18 rating arrives just one day after GTA 6 received its official ESRB rating, which, also unsurprisingly, resulted in an “M for Mature.”
GTA 6’s rating describes a story that allows players to take control of “Jason Duval or Lucia Caminos, two criminals who become involved in a criminal conspiracy following a failed robbery.” It adds that they’ll work together as “they become increasingly entangled in criminal activities” in Vice City, with gameplay that, as we’ve already seen, is par for the course when it comes to Grand Theft Auto.
What’s different about GTA 6 is the unprecedented detail Rockstar has shoved into the game, with previous footage showing off an open-world sandbox with enough activities to make up for the 13-year wait. PEGI dived into that, too, but there are certainly some new highlights to go over.
The board described the game’s violence as “bloody with a high degree of realism.” Some weapons will be more brutal than others, with some said to be “able to cause greater damage, such as detailed decapitation and dismemberment.” This time around, Rockstar has made drug use “frequent and prominent,” with players able to partake in illicit substances. Cocaine is said to be especially important in Vice City, with the rating promising that Jason and Lucia will be able to use the substance directly from their inventory, as it can be “snorted directly from their hand at any time.”
The GTA 6 PEGI description also touched on “strong sexual themes,” which include “nudity, scenes of intercourse, and occasional scenes of sexual fetishes.” It’s a lot that we knew and some details that we didn’t, but you can read the “content specific issues” section of the summary in its entirety below.
“This game contains frequent depictions of violence; due to the free roam nature of the game the player can harm all other characters inhabiting the environment,” PEGI said. “This includes civilians, criminals and the authorities. Violence is bloody with a high degree of realism, with certain weapons being able to cause greater damage such as detailed decapitation and dismemberment.
“Drug use is frequent and prominent with the player being able to partake in drug use with others and to use illegal drugs directly from their inventory. Most notably, cocaine can be carried around by the player and snorted directly from their hand at any time.
“There are also strong sexual themes, including nudity, scenes of intercourse and occasional scenes of sexual fetishes. In various night clubs the player can also pay for private dances, during which, the game allows the player to move their hands onto the dancers’ breasts and buttocks.”
The PEGI age rating also mentioned “other issues,” including that domestic animals can be harmed, though not in the same detail as humans. The word “f**k” is also featured prominently in the game, while the word “c**t” is only occasionally featured. The description also said that “discriminatory language can be heard in the TV shows and on the radio channels.”
Finally, GTA 6 reminds players that they will have the option to purchase in-game items, though it’s still unclear what this entails. In August, it was reported that Rockstar would not include microtransactions or generative AI in the game.
GTA 6 is still on course to launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S November 19, 2026. You can read more about how Rockstar has ramped up its marketing tactics here, and you can see what we learned from some new screenshots here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
