GTA 6 Was Almost Refused a Rating in South Korea Due to 'Genital Nudity'
GTA 6 was almost too much for South Korean ratings board GCRB, who struggled to agree whether the game should be approved or not. The board cited “out of context genital nudity” as the sticking point.
The South Korean ratings board, the Game Content Rating Board (GCRB), faced a dilemma over whether to approve Grand Theft Auto 6 or not. The game's developers, Rockstar, submitted an application for a South Korean rating on September 1. However, the initial vote on September 10 ended in a tie, with three votes for classification refusal and three for an Adults Only rating.
To resolve the deadlock, the board decided to postpone the decision until they could examine a playable build of the game. The first playable build arrived on September 28, but the review was postponed twice for a more thorough gameplay examination. Following the second review on October 18, the board voted in favor of an Adults Only rating with eight voting in favor and one against.
The issue lay in "Sensuality," specifically male nudity without sexual context. South Korean regulations had previously been strict, but a revision in September 2025 changed the wording to only consider suggestive bodily exposure when it is directly and specifically depicted. This alteration had allowed GTA 6 to bypass the previous strict rules, making it the first game to encounter the new, more relaxed guidelines.
Had the game been denied a rating, it would have barred its release in South Korea entirely. Prior to the rating, GTA 6 had received a PEGI 18 rating, which included references to violence, drug use, and strong sexual themes, including nudity, intercourse, and sexual fetishes. The trailer had already teased steamy shower scenes between characters Jason and Lucia, hinting at the game's mature content.
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