Grand Theft Auto VI came very close to receiving a rating refusal in South Korea during its classification review. Plus, some new details about nudity has been revealed has part of this report.
According to meeting documents obtained by Korean gaming outlet Inven, the highly anticipated game faced serious discussions among the country’s Game Content Rating Board (GCRB) before finally receiving an Adults Only rating.
The first review took place on September 10, and the committee members were equally divided. Three members voted for an Adults Only rating, while the other three wanted to refuse the game’s classification completely. A rating refusal would effectively block GTA VI from its official release in South Korea.
The main reason behind this discussion was not violence, crime, or drugs. Instead, committee members were concerned about the frequent appearance of male genital nudity without any sexual context. Some members argued that these scenes were too explicit, while others believed they should not be enough to refuse the entire game.
New Rating Regulations Became a Major Factor
One important detail behind this decision was a recent change in South Korea’s rating regulations. In September 2025, the country revised its classification rules regarding sensuality and nudity. Under the previous regulations, certain types of bodily exposure could automatically lead to a rating refusal. However, the revised rules focused more on whether such exposure was directly and specifically depicted.
GTA VI became one of the first major games to be examined under these updated regulations. This made the decision even more important, as the result could also affect how future video games are classified in South Korea.
Two Delays Before the Final Decision
Following the first review, the committee postponed its decision and requested further examination. Due to security concerns, the playable version of GTA VI was not delivered to the reviewers until September 28. The second review took place on October 2, but the committee once again postponed its decision because it wanted more time to examine the game.
During this process, researchers played the game and investigated the controversial scenes. According to their reports, the genital exposure mostly appeared as background content and did not lead to any sexual interactions. In some locations, players could only hit another character, which would eventually result in the character being arrested by the police.
Another important point during these discussions was the game’s international ratings. By October 16, ten international rating boards, including ESRB, PEGI, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, had already approved GTA VI for adult audiences. Committee members discussed the possibility of South Korea becoming the only country to refuse its classification.
There were also concerns about the legal grounds for refusing the game. Some committee members argued that a rating refusal would be a serious administrative decision that could block the game’s release. Therefore, they needed clear legal reasons rather than simply relying on internal rating guidelines.
GTA VI Finally Receives Adults Only Rating
Finally, on October 16, the third review took place with all nine committee members attending. This time, the result was much clearer. Eight members voted for an Adults Only rating, while only one member continued to support a rating refusal.
With this decision, GTA VI officially received its Adults Only classification in South Korea. The final content descriptors include Sensuality, Violence, Crime, Drugs, and Language. Interestingly, Horror and Gambling, which were also considered during the preliminary review, were excluded from the final classification.
However, there is still one unanswered question. The committee had previously requested modifications after its first review, but the meeting documents do not confirm whether Rockstar Games actually changed any content in the game. It is also unclear whether the controversial scenes were removed or were already absent from the version examined by the committee.
This situation shows how close GTA VI came to facing a completely different situation in South Korea. After three reviews and several weeks of discussions, the game finally received its rating. This decision could also become an important precedent for future video games facing similar classification issues.
With its November 19 release date approaching, fans in South Korea can now look forward to exploring Leonida without a rating refusal blocking the game’s release!
In other Grand Theft Auto VI news, new stunning footage is available here, more gameplay features revealed in a recent interview here, and GTA Online’s final Event Week before GTA VI arrives is detailed here.
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