GTA 6 Almost Had Its Rating Refused in South Korea Over "Genital Nudity"

According to newly revealed meeting minutes, South Korean regulators came surprisingly close to refusing Grand Theft Auto 6 an age rating because of its frequent depictions of male genital nudity.

The report, originally published by Inven Global, reveals that the country's Game Content Rating Board (GCRB) struggled to reach an agreement during its review of the highly anticipated title.

Rockstar submitted its rating application on September 1, with the first review taking place on September 10. During that meeting, committee members were evenly divided, with three voting in favor of an "Adults Only" rating and another three pushing for an outright refusal. The latter would have effectively prevented GTA 6 from ever being released in South Korea.

Nudity Became the Biggest Point of Contention

Interestingly, the main concern wasn't the franchise's usual depictions of violence, crime, or use of narcotics. Instead, regulators took issue with what they described as frequent "out-of-context genital nudity," especially male nudity appearing in the background without any meaningful reason.

One committee member reportedly argued that genital exposure had never appeared so frequently without a clear narrative justification. They later suggested that it would be best to recommend that the game modify these elements, stating that they "do not believe genital exposure to this extent falls within acceptable limits under the current standard."

Another member, who argued for an age rating refusal, suggested that the game simply contained "too much" nudity.

The debate was also influenced by changes to South Korea's classification regulations in September 2025. Previously, certain forms of genital exposure could automatically result in a rating refusal. However, the current rules allow for more nuance in deciding what is permissible and what isn't.

GTA 6 Eventually Secured an "Adults Only" Rating

Following the initial disagreement, the board postponed its decision twice to allow for further examination. Reviewers eventually received a playable build on September 28, with another review taking place on October 2. A decision was not made then, with the committee citing the need for further gameplay evaluation.

The final decision came on October 16, when all nine committee members voted. GTA 6 ultimately secured an 8-1 vote in favor of giving the game an "Adults Only" rating.

The board also considered the fact that ten overseas rating organizations, including North America's ESRB and Europe's PEGI, had already approved the game for adult audiences. However, the meeting minutes don't clarify whether Rockstar made any changes to GTA 6 following the initial recommendation for modification.