Updated 26 October 2026: the Thai PlayStation Store now takes GTA VI pre-orders with an 18+ rating, Australia’s age verification is in force on PlayStation, and Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Lebanon still show no purchase option.
GTA 6 is not banned in eight countries. The list behind that claim is the eligibility footnote of the free GTA+ month on PlayStation pre-orders: available in “All PlayStation Country Stores, excluding Bahrain, China, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russian Federation, Taiwan.” That sentence governs a subscription bonus. Taiwan shows why: it is on the list, and its PlayStation Store takes pre-orders for the 19 November 2026 release at NT$ 2,900.
One country has a documented government ban on the Grand Theft Auto series: Tajikistan. Russia has no storefront since the 2022 platform withdrawals. China has no import approval for the game. Five Gulf and Levant stores show no purchase option without a published reason. Thailand, which banned GTA IV in 2008, now lists GTA VI for pre-order.
Where the “8 banned countries” list came from
Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI opened on 25 June 2026, and within a day screenshots of the PlayStation offer footnote circulated as a ban list. The footnote is still on the Bahrain PlayStation Store page. Bahrain’s Daily Tribune reported on 26 June 2026 that neither Rockstar, Take-Two nor any Gulf regulator had announced a ban and that the wording covers the promotion only.
GTA 6 status by country
| Country | Status on 26 Oct 2026 | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|---|
| Tajikistan | Government ban | Interior Ministry banned the GTA series in November 2024 and announced raids on gaming centres; no reversal published. |
| Russia | No storefront | Sony suspended PlayStation Store operations and shipments on 9 March 2022; no Russian ruling on GTA 6. |
| China | No legal sales route | Imported games need NPPA batch approval; GTA VI has none. No ban notice exists. |
| Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon | No purchase option, no ban found | Each store page reads “Not available for purchase”; no regulator decision published. |
| Thailand | Pre-order open, rated 18+ | The Thai store lists GTA VI at THB 2,690 with an IARC 18+ rating, despite the 2008 order against GTA IV. |
| Taiwan | Pre-order open | On the GTA+ exclusion list, and the store takes pre-orders at NT$ 2,900. |
| Saudi Arabia | Pre-order open, rated 21 | GTA VI page carries a GMEDIA 21 badge, SAR 301.56 for Standard. |
| United Arab Emirates | Pre-order open, rated 21 | GTA VI page carries an MRO 21 badge, AED 299.16 for Standard. |
| Australia | No ban; age verification required | R18+ online games need age assurance; PlayStation asks adult accounts to verify before adding R18+ games. |
India, Pakistan, Nepal and Turkey also appear on social media lists. No regulator decision, store notice or primary document exists for them, and the Turkish PlayStation Store lists GTA VI at TRY 3,999.
Which country has a documented GTA ban?
Tajikistan. Its Interior Ministry banned the Grand Theft Auto series in November 2024, together with Counter-Strike, and announced raids on gaming centres suspected of stocking them, stating that the games promote killing, theft and violence.
Thailand banned the distribution of GTA IV in August 2008 after a Bangkok killing was blamed on the game. In October 2026 the Thai PlayStation Store lists GTA VI for pre-order at THB 2,690 with an 18+ rating, so the 2008 order is no obstacle to this release on that store.
China’s case is licensing. Mainland China approves imported games in batches through the National Press and Publication Administration, and a game without approval has no legal route to sale; no ban notice exists for GTA VI.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE: From a ban to a 21+ rating
GTA V was unavailable in both countries for about twelve years. It launched there on 17 July 2025 with a 21+ classification, cleared by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Media Regulation and the UAE Media Council. The same tier applies to GTA VI: the Saudi store shows GMEDIA 21 and the UAE store MRO 21, both with prices and pre-orders.
Russia: A storefront withdrawal
No Russian authority has banned Grand Theft Auto VI. Sony suspended PlayStation Store operations and shipments to Russia on 9 March 2022, and Microsoft and Valve took similar steps. Russia is on the GTA+ footnote for the same reason: there is no store to sell through.
Age verification is the restriction that spread
Australia’s Age-Restricted Material Codes came into force on 9 March 2026, and from 10 March R18+ online games need age assurance under the eSafety Commissioner; offline single-player play is exempt. On PlayStation, Australian adult accounts must now verify their age to add Restricted (R 18+) games to their library, according to Sony’s Australian support page. Xbox began asking Australian accounts for age verification in late August 2026. For GTA VI, most players who meet a restriction will meet a verification screen.
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 6 banned in Australia?
No. GTA 6 is on sale for pre-order in Australia. Australian PlayStation accounts must complete age verification before adding R18+ games such as GTA VI to their library.
Is GTA 6 banned in the UAE?
No. The UAE PlayStation Store takes pre-orders for GTA VI at AED 299.16 with an MRO 21 rating, under the 21+ tier that cleared GTA V in July 2025.
Is GTA 6 banned in 8 countries?
No. The eight names are the countries excluded from the free GTA+ month that comes with a digital pre-order: Bahrain, China, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia and Taiwan. Taiwan’s store takes pre-orders for the game.
Where can you not buy GTA 6?
On 26 October 2026 the PlayStation Store shows no purchase option in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Lebanon. Tajikistan bans the GTA series, Russia has no storefront and China has no import approval.
Sources
- PlayStation Store, Grand Theft Auto VI regional pages, read 26 October 2026
- PlayStation Australia, Age verification FAQ, read 26 October 2026
- The Record, Tajikistan bans GTA and Counter-Strike, 1 November 2024
- Daily Tribune (Bahrain), No official GTA 6 ban in Gulf countries, 26 June 2026
- CNBC, Sony suspends PlayStation sales in Russia, 9 March 2022
Prepared by the GamerMarkt editorial team, with some help from AI tools; some images may be AI-generated.
