By GTA 6 has its German age rating. On October 15, 2026, the USK, the body that rates games in Germany, gave it «keine Jugendfreigabe», no youth rating, which is USK 18, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Everything about prices, the box and the unlock time in Germany is on our GTA 6 in Germany page.
USK 18 at a glance
- Rating: «keine Jugendfreigabe», USK 18.
- Date: October 15, 2026.
- Platforms: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Reasons given: drastic violence, drugs, criminal role models and in-game purchases.
- Release in Germany: November 19, 2026, at midnight.
Why the USK gave it an 18
The reasons read like a summary of the series. The violence is drastic and shown up close. Drugs come up often and are not shown as a bad thing. Crimes such as robberies and illegal street racing are played down, and criminal organisations are glamorised. On top of that the USK flags in-game purchases. None of this surprised anyone: GTA IV and GTA 5 carry exactly the same rating, and so does pretty much every modern game where you play a criminal.
Will GTA 6 be cut in Germany?
This is the question every German GTA fan asks first, and the honest answer is: very likely not. The cut German versions of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas belong to another era, when an 18 rating was harder to get and publishers trimmed the games to reach it. Since GTA IV, the German releases have been the same as everywhere else, and an 18 rating is exactly what lets the full version through. The USK entry says nothing about required changes.
As a technical artist I’d add one small thing. A cut version isn’t free for a studio: it is a second build to test and certify on every platform. With USK 18 in hand, Rockstar has no reason to make one.
How the ratings compare
| Board | Region | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| USK | Germany | USK 18, no youth rating |
| PEGI | Most of Europe | PEGI 18 |
| ESRB | United States | Mature 17+ |
What PEGI flagged, and the detailed description it pulled from its site, is in our PEGI 18 news.
FAQ
When did GTA 6 get its USK rating?
On October 15, 2026, five weeks before the November 19 release, for both PS5 and Xbox
Series X|S.
What does «keine Jugendfreigabe» mean?
It is the USK’s top category, the same as USK 18: the game may only be sold to adults, and
it is the rating GTA IV and GTA 5 have in Germany too.
Why is GTA 6 rated 18 in Germany?
The USK names drastic violence, drugs, criminal role models and in-game purchases.