Featured Image Credit: Rockstar Games
2026 is a massive one for gaming, and although we've already got Resident Evil Requiem out of the way as one of the year's biggest releases, juggernauts like Marvel's Wolverine, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and 007 First Light have our bank balances groaning at the thought.
Of course, all of these gaming Goliaths pale in comparison to a certain little release we've been waiting 13 years for. We're pretty sure that even extraterrestrial visitors will know that Grand Theft Auto 6 is releasing toward the end of the year, set to blow the competition out of the water and reshape the video game landscape for years to come.
For those who can't appreciate the pulling power of Rockstar Games' upcoming automotive adventure, remember that 2013's GTA V went on to become the most profitable entertainment product of all time and has generated up to (an estimated) $9.5 billion.
Part of this is down to the ever-popular GTA Online, with tens of thousands of players logging in daily and splashing the cash on Shark Cards. With questions about what's coming next for GTA Online, and whether the OG will evolve into a new version or we'll get a full-blown GTA Online 2.0, millions of people are in danger of being locked out of this Vice City revamp.
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Both GTA Online and GTA 6 are set to fall foul of Australia's new age verification laws that are coming for its 27 million citizens. Like we've seen Pornhub go dark for millions in the United Kingdom, Australia's ban hammer is destined to hit Take-Two Interactive in the pocket.
Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021 was amended in 2024, with the eSafety Commissioner introducing new rules that banned under-16s from social media. This already affects the current version of GTA Online due to its decidedly adult content where you can kick prostitutes to the floor, meaning whatever version comes alongside GTA 6 will also be restricted to those who are over the age of 18.
There's no official classification for GTA 6 on the official Australian Classification site, but given that GTA V received an R 18+ rating, many expect things to go the same way.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that GTA Online and other R-rated games have to add age verification protocols, as well as search engines, social media platforms, porn websites, app stores, and even generative AI systems. Those who don't comply face a $49.5 million fine per breach.
Although there have been privacy concerns over age verification, governments around the world have continued to mandate these new rules. Anyone caught flaunting the rules can be slapped with massive fines, with the UK's online regulator already coming after a slew of major sites.
There's technically nothing stopping a parent from going out and buying their child a physical copy of GTA 6 and letting them shoot up Vice City as Jason and Lucia, but as GTA Online is an online-only multiplayer offshoot, you'll have to prove you're 18 or older to play.
Australia's age verification is already in play for GTA Online, and although many don't see it as an issue, it could be about to catch others off guard.
