In a now-deleted detailed rating for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) site briefly published its PEGI 18 rating for the game, posting a whole lot of reasons why it received that “no kids allowed” classification.

This is information that Rockstar is not exactly broadcasting in its GTA 6 marketing materials right now, and that could have something to do with why it was taken down, given that we are still a month and a half from release.

Among the information, which can still be viewed through screenshots of the original:

  • GTA 6 players can harm all other characters in the game, including civilians and authorities.
  • The violence has a high degree of realism, where some weapons do more visible damage like decapitation and dismemberment.
  • Drug use is frequent and the player themselves can use drugs from their inventory. Specifically, players can carry around cocaine and snort it.
  • There are sex scenes and past that, fetish sex scenes.
  • There is also nudity, and strip clubs are specifically mentioned where the player is able “to move their hands onto the dancers’ breasts and buttocks.”
  • Domestic animals are in the game and can be harmed by the player, but that “does not produce the same level of injury” as to human players.
  • The game features frequent strong language and “discriminatory” language.
  • And you can buy in-game items for real money (this seems to be what concerns players the most).

A PEGI 18 rating for GTA 6 is not a surprise, and without question the game will be rated M-for-mature by the ESRB in the US. Many of these categories are not a great surprise, given the history of the game, especially things like violence against police and some level of nudity and drug use. Though things appear to be going a step beyond with say, being able to use cocaine at any given time and actually groping strippers. It stands to reason that Rockstar wants to push the envelope with each new installment, and it seems it has done so here.

Given the treatment of past Grand Theft Auto games by the news media and even the government, at times, it stands to reason that GTA 6 will endure some level of controversy on its release for one, a few or all of these inclusions listed above. But as the PEGI 18 rating conveys, this is a game for adults, not children, and parents should use discretion if they’re buying their kids GTA 6 or letting them play it elsewhere. It’s not like it’s not labeled, and the contents are clearly spelled out.

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