Despite the unprecedented hype for Rockstar’s upcoming open world behemoth, it’s also a fact that the Grand Theft Auto series is one of the most violent and adult-themed videogame franchises ever made and that’s why if you live in Australia and want to play GTA 6, you need to complete the age verification process which is in accordance with the new Australian legislation introduced in 2026. Although it’s currently unclear whether age verification is required only for the main campaign or the inevitable GTA 6 online component which is yet to be announced officially.
According to news.com.au, “due to Australia’s controversial new online safety laws, that came into effect in March, local users of GTA6 will require to show mandatory age verification to play the game Down Under, especially to access the online multiplayer mode.”
The outlet also stated that developer Rockstar Games could face a hefty penalty if the online laws in Australia are violated by GTA 6 in any way:
“However the regulations for GTA 6 might be even more onerous given it will have a R18+ classification.
According to Australia’s online laws, any content classified as R18+ must verify that its users are adults.
Game creators, in this case Rockstar Games can face civil penalties of up to $49.5m per breach for non compliance.”
The Grand Theft Auto series has always pushed the envelope of videogame violence in new ways and it’s kind of expected that GTA 6 will be just as notorious and relentless as anything else that we’ve seen from the series, or maybe even more.
The Standard edition of GTA 6 will cost $80 while the Ultimate edition comes with a price tag of $100 which also includes a whole array of unlockables ranging from bonus story missions to in-game items, equipment and additional customization. And while the prices are certainly steep for a videogame but when you consider the colossal production value of GTA 6, they do start to feel pretty reasonable.
GTA 6 is slated to launch for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19 with pre-orders going on right now.
