GTA 6 Could Require Age Verification in Australia

GTA 6 is only months away from release, but Australian players may have one more step to complete before entering Rockstar’s latest open world. New online safety rules of the country could require players to verify that they are adults, while failing to comply may expose Rockstar Games to penalties worth tens of millions of dollars.

Australia’s online safety rules could change how players access GTA 6

According to a report from news.com.au, content carrying an R18+ classification must have measures in place to verify that users are adults. GTA 6 has not received its final Australian classification yet, but its mature themes and the history of the Grand Theft Auto franchise make an adult rating widely expected.

The report claims Rockstar could face civil penalties of up to AU$49.5 million for each breach if the applicable age-verification requirements are not followed. However, several details remain unclear. There is currently no confirmation that every Australian player will be asked to provide a driver’s licence, nor has Rockstar explained what verification method it may use.

It is also unclear whether the requirement would apply to GTA 6’s story mode, its expected online component, or both. That being said, age verification does not necessarily mean players will have to upload government identification directly to Rockstar. Depending on how the rules are implemented, other methods could potentially be used to confirm that a player meets the required age without exposing unnecessary personal information.

Speaking of GTA 6, Rockstar has yet to publicly detail the game’s online experience or explain how regional age restrictions will be handled. Any verification system could also involve PlayStation and Xbox account services, although nothing has been confirmed at this stage.

We’ll learn more about age check to access GTA 6 only after Rockstar details its launch requirements.