Last Updated on Aug 8, 2025 @ 12:24:30 PM.
Rockstar Games is renowned for its iconic gaming franchises, including Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. These games allow the gaming community to do whatever they want without oversight. Players can inflict their will in-game without thinking too much about the consequences; however, it appears that the developers are making moves that could harm their relationship with players, at least in the United Kingdom.
Age Verification Could Drive a Wedge Between Rockstar Games and Its Player Base
There is no denying that games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption are full of violence, and many players use these games to do whatever they want. It may have impacted how certain players think and act in real life, which sends a negative message about what video games are all about.
Recent reports suggest that developers are working on a solution that prohibits minors from gaining access, and it seems to have started in the United Kingdom. This would mean that players below a certain age can no longer access the online multiplayer feature.
Rockstar Games has officially started to ask for age verification in the UK for GTA Online.
— GTA 6 Joker (@GTASixJoker) August 5, 2025
Now it will be harder for minors to play GTA Online. pic.twitter.com/TTa5O6DQ6w
The gaming community spent a decade with their online buddies exploring every square inch of San Andreas through GTA Online, the online counterpart of GTA 5. The online mode single-handedly carried a generation of players, and the developers have been collecting roses ever since. Rockstar Games abandoned all plans for expansions to the single-player side and focused all their time and resources on the multiplayer mode.
It made sense on paper, considering it is much more profitable and has more eyes and players. However, the increasing number of players also involves younger children who may not fully understand or comprehend the impact of violence.
This is how the new age assurance policy looks in-game pic.twitter.com/t2O5eW6xqC
— GTA 6 Joker (@GTASixJoker) August 5, 2025
Some players reported that the age verification has yet to be implemented, while others have seen a preview of what it could look like in-game. GTA Online shaped childhoods, and it isn’t too ironic to say that many players grew up with this game. This could strain Rockstar Games’ relationship with players in the United Kingdom and elsewhere if it were to be implemented worldwide.
Nevertheless, it is a valiant effort to protect younger players from being exposed to violent gameplay. This could also be a glimpse of what this could entail for GTA 6.
There Is a Possibility That GTA 6 May Require Age Verification Before You Can Play
GTA Online has been around for years, and its player base is comprised of every age demographic. If Rockstar Games is keen to implement this feature today, there is no telling what the developers could do for GTA 6 when it releases next year.
Times are changing, and Rockstar Games is doing everything to avoid potential legal problems by abiding by the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act. Perhaps this could be done everywhere else to protect the youth from inappropriate content moving forward, and affect how the GTA franchise will evolve.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out one game-changing feature that could make your Ghost of Yotei experience much more convenient, and our review of Magic Inn on PC. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
