Emma Rosemurgey
As the hype for GTA 6 continues to build, millions of Playstation and Xbox players could find themselves sorely disappointed over the UK's new age verification laws.
It comes after the UK government implemented the Online Safety Act, which forces websites containing adult content to introduce age verification systems to prevent under 18s from accessing it.
While the legislation was brought in predominantly to protect minors from pornographic content, it could soon have a huge impact on the world of gaming too.
Gaming companies are now being forced to look at how they can comply with the age verification laws for current and future content, with Rockstar allegedly set to introduce the restriction on GTA Online, an insider has claimed.
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Tez2, who is known for accurately leaking GTA news, said the developer is looking to roll out the checks by region.
"Jokes aside, Rockstar is planning to implement age assurance checks in the near future, rolling them out by region," he wrote on X.
"You may need to verify your age to access GTA Online, or certain features like phone messages, text chat, Snapmatic, may be restricted until you verify your age."
GTA 5 and GTA Online are both rated 18+ in the UK, but there's nothing to actually stop anyone under that age from actually playing the game.
However, the introduction of verification would mean over 18s would need to confirm their age to access the game's online functionality, while those under 18 would not be allowed to play the game online at all.
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LADbible has contacted Rockstar Games for comment.
With the UK being one of the biggest markets for the GTA franchise, it's definitely not a decision the developer will take lightly as it could make a serious dent in the market.
Despite this, GTA 6 is still set to become the most profitable video games of all time, with an estimated lifetime income of more than $10 billion.
Meanwhile, a 2023 poll by YouGov found that 71 percent of Brits who have ever played GTA did so before they turned 18, with as many as 20 percent confessing to playing one of the games while under the age of 11.
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As it stands the age verification laws only apply to players actually in the UK, however, there have been varying reports that similar legislation could be brought in for users in other parts of the world, including Europe and the United States.