Advertisement
The UK has a new law called the Online Safety Act. It is meant to keep kids away from harmful content on the internet. At first, the law was aimed at adult sites. But now, it is starting to affect many other websites too. Reddit and Twitter already had to change how some content is shown. Now, it seems video game companies are also being pulled into this.
According to a trusted insider, Rockstar Games might soon add age checks to GTA Online. The company is getting ready to follow the new law and could roll out these changes region by region.
The update might ask players to confirm their age before they can enter GTA Online. Some features, like in-game text chat or Snapmatic, could be blocked if the player has not verified their age. Players who are under 18 might not be allowed to play online at all.
GTA 5 is already rated for adults in the UK. But right now, there is no system that actually stops younger players from getting in. With so much adult content in the game, like the strip club in GTA 5, Rockstar may want to act before they are forced to do so by the UK regulator Ofcom.
If Rockstar adds this change in GTA 5, it is very likely that GTA 6 Online will also include age checks. This is especially true because GTA 6 is expected to make a lot of money. Rockstar will not want to take any risks with such a big release, especially in a huge market like the UK.
For now, it is not clear if these checks will also appear in other countries. The UK law does not cover places like the US or Europe. But some websites are already asking for age checks in those areas too, so it could happen.
So far, Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two, have not said anything about these plans. But it looks like change may be coming for GTA Online players soon.