Australia threatens Rockstar with $35 million fine over GTA 6 age verification

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As GTA 6 grows nearer and nearer, eager folks can't help but be excited to dive into Rockstar Games' long-awaited new Grand Theft Auto entry – but some fans may have to face regional restrictions before proceeding through the game's golden gates.

Australian fans, that is, to be more specific – and it's all thanks to the country's online safety laws, which require age verification from people before they can access content rated for adults.

As per News.com.au , much to nobody's surprise here, GTA 6 (and its predecessors, for that matter) will likely launch with a rating of M for Mature (ages 17+) from the ESRB and 18+ from PEGI – and, under Australia's own Classification Board, Restricted (ages 18+ only).

That's the same rating that GTA 5 carries in the country, for reference, and GTA Online is not accessible without ID verification.

Should Rockstar, for whatever reason, not comply if GTA 6 (very likely) releases with an identical age rating, we're talking about a fine that can go upwards of $49.5 million (in USD, that's about $35 million), as per the BBC .

Obviously, though, there's no reason for the developer not to comply with the law.

As I stated earlier, some of Rockstar's other games already require this age verification via ID – so, especially when the online counterpart for GTA 6 lands, it'll probably be the same ol' story with the studio's new game.

This does make me a bit worried that it could happen elsewhere, like the United Kingdom. It's seen similar online safety laws pass in recent years, with the Discord age verification system immediately springing to mind.

There are also the Steam restrictions and the like, so I could see something similar happening with "adult" games like GTA 6 in the future – although I suppose only time will tell… but it's a more pressing matter now than ever, with GTA 6 pre-orders flying left and right.

GTA 6 shipping without discs "feels unfair to studios still backing physical," Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says, and Sony's certainly not helping