GTA 6 reportedly came close to being refused an age rating in South Korea, with reviewers initially split over whether its nudity should prevent the game from being released in the country.
According to Inven Global, which obtained documents covering the classification process, the first vote ended in a 3–3 tie between granting an adult rating and refusing classification.
The decision was postponed twice before South Korea’s Game Content Rating Board approved the game by eight votes to one on October 16. A refusal would effectively have blocked its domestic release.
Nudity Proved More Contentious Than Violence
The report says the main disagreement concerned repeated depictions of male genital nudity outside sexual situations.
Some committee members argued that the frequency and detail went beyond what the board had previously accepted. Others questioned whether non-sexual background nudity provided sufficient grounds to refuse classification, particularly when the game’s violence, crime and drug content was considered broadly comparable to GTA 5.
The distinction between nudity and sexual activity became central to the review. According to the documents described by Inven, researchers found that the disputed background scenes did not allow sexual interaction.
Intimate scenes involving the protagonists were reportedly presented as non-interactive cutscenes, with no visible genitalia.
That left reviewers debating whether explicit exposure alone justified preventing the game’s release, rather than restricting it to an adult audience.
Reviewers Needed Help Finding Content Across the Map
The classification process also reportedly exposed the difficulty of assessing a game of GTA 6’s scale.
Although the application was submitted on September 1, the board did not receive a playable build until September 28 because of security concerns. Its initial September 10 vote therefore took place before reviewers had access to that build.
Ahead of the second review on October 2, researchers focused on the disputed material. However, the publisher reportedly advised that the main storyline alone would take dozens of hours to complete.
Researchers also had to request maps from the publisher to locate particular areas containing nudity.
Committee members subsequently debated how much of the game they could reasonably inspect. Some raised concerns about approving content they had not seen, while others argued that checking every possible scenario was impractical and that the publisher remained responsible for disclosing relevant material.
No Confirmation That Rockstar Changed the Game
GTA 6 ultimately received an adult rating with descriptors covering sexual content, violence, crime, drugs and language.
Following the initial tied vote, the committee reportedly communicated its concerns and asked whether the publisher intended to make modifications. The subsequent records described by Inven do not establish what response was given or whether changes followed, however.
The report arrives as GTA 6 approaches its November 19 launch. Preparations are already having a wider impact, with the game’s preload prompting internet providers to offer speed boosts and respond to record traffic.
