Grand Theft Auto 6 was almost banned from South Korea due to “out-of-context genital nudity,” it has been revealed. Rockstar’s upcoming game was reviewed multiple times by the country’s Game Content Rating Board (GCRB), and it wasn’t until the last vote that GTA 6 was handed a rating and cleared for release.
The Grand Theft Auto series is no stranger to controversy. Its heavy inclusion of racy and violent content is a big part of why fans love the series so much, but it also contributes towards the intense media scrutiny it continues to attract. This usually comes in waves, with media attention surrounding the series always at its highest whenever there’s a new release.
GTA 6 Avoids South Korea Ban After “Out-of-Context Genital Nudity”
According to Inven, South Korea’s GCRB has granted GTA 6 an Adults Only rating, clearing it for release in the country. However, it took three reviews to reach that verdict. The first, held on September 10, was a split 3:3 vote, in which those arguing for refusal point out that “a rating has never been issued for out-of-context genital nudity like this.” The argument is that, “It is not that genital exposure is completely forbidden, but it has never appeared this frequently without context.” It’s worth noting that, at this point, the ratings board did not have access to a playable build of the game, with statements perhaps based on Cyberleek’s leak of GTA 6‘s nudist town.
Balance the critic averages
Inven says the GCRB received its playable build on September 28, and reconvened for another vote. After further arguments in which it was claimed that nudity is “depicted explicitly or excessively so as to disrupt social order”, it was agreed that further gameplay evaluation was required before making a final decision, leaving it down to the final review on October 16. All nine GCRB committee members attended this third and final review, where they voted 8:1 in favor of granting GTA 6 the Adults Only rating, avoiding the awkward issue of effectively banning the game from South Korea. The one holdout vote suggested that they were “concerned that background genital exposure will frequently appear in future RPGs as a result.”
By skipping PC at launch, Rockstar is already leaving behind millions of gamers with GTA 6. To have it then banned in South Korea would have been a massive deal for the studio, given the nation has a population of over 50 million people. There’s no doubt that the game’s classification came as a massive relief for Rockstar.
After 13 years of waiting, the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally approaching. Pre-loads for the game are officially live on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, meaning those who have pre-ordered can make sure they can hop right in when it releases on November 19. Data suggests GTA 6 is already the most pre-ordered game in history. Given the enormous hype, it comes as very little surprise.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
