Rockstar’s rumoured age verification system for GTA Online appears to be real, as a reliable leaker unearths menu screens showing it in action.
The UK’s Online Safety Act has led to a wave of newly implemented age checks across porn sites and social media, but it’s creeping its way into gaming, too.
Platforms like Discord have already rolled out age verification systems to access certain features and age-restricted content, and a leaker earlier this month claimed Rockstar was planning to add something similar to GTA Online.
A week later, and the same leaker has posted further evidence that age verification in GTA Online is happening – this time via actual screenshots.
In a post on X, Tez2, a long-serving dataminer for Rockstar titles, posted screenshots of the menu screens showing the age check settings. ‘A preview of age assurance in-game,’ they wrote. ‘This is not active yet.’
One screenshot shows a splash screen for GTA Online with ‘please verify your age to access online features’ emblazoned across the bottom.
Another screenshot shows new toggles in the settings menu, with the option to ‘verify age’ at the top and buttons below it to turn on online access, store access, and Snapmatic upload, presumably once you’ve confirmed your age.
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Based on these screenshots, it’s unclear what options there’ll be to verify your age, but it will likely involve some kind of facial recognition scan or credit card details, based on what’s been implemented elsewhere.
Rockstar hasn’t officially announced any age check systems for GTA Online yet, but it certainly makes sense to avoid any blowback from these new laws – especially ahead of GTA 6 next year, which will likely become another focal point of controversy.
The big question, if these age checks are rolled out, is whether this might impact the sales of GTA 6 to some degree. Although considering adults have been buying 18+ games for underage teens for decades, this will likely just become another minor nuisance for parents who aren’t that bothered about their offspring attending a virtual strip club.
GTA 6 is set to launch on May 26 next year across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but there are concerns it could be delayed again.
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