What is Grand Theft Auto?
What parents need to know
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is one of the best-selling game series of all time. In the games, players engage in criminal activity, driving and combat.
Learn about Grand Theft Auto, the risks present in the games and how to keep your child safe.
In this guide
What is Grand Theft Auto?
Developed by Rockstar Games, the Grand Theft Auto series first launched in 1997 as a 2D game but has since evolved into a series of increasingly realistic 3D open-world games. The games were single player experiences until 2013, when GTA Online was released, allowing gamers to play alongside their friends and strangers.
The GTA franchise revolves around a world of crime, where players can steal cars, shoot enemies and rob banks.
The latest entry in the franchise is GTA VI. It is the most expensive game ever made and expected to reach a huge audience. While the game is intended for adults only, with a PEGI 18 rating, it is massively popular among gaming streamers and content creators. This means younger gamers will likely encounter GTA content through livestreams and videos, which might make them want to play the game themselves.
Minimum age requirements
Every 3D GTA game has received a PEGI 18 rating, and GTA VI continues this trend. It has received this rating due to the drugs, in-game purchases, sexual content and violence present in the game.
How it works
GTA VI’s single player mode is set in Vice City, within the fictional state of Leonida, inspired by Miami and Florida respectively. Players control two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, a couple engaged in a Bonnie and Clyde-style life of crime.
Throughout the game, players can rob establishments, participate in drug deals, have shootouts with police, run over pedestrians and more. They can also do less-violent activities, such as playing tennis and flying planes. The open-world design gives players a considerable amount of freedom to explore and interact with the game world, although there is also an in-depth narrative storyline for users to play through.
Violence, drug use, sexual imagery and strong language are common in the game, with much of the gameplay revolving around these elements. The GTA series is also notable for its cultural satire, with parodies of the American society and politics being a main feature of the games.
GTA Online
GTA Online lets users play the game in a world filled with other players. Players can join worlds with up to 30 friends or strangers and fight with or against these other users. Unlike the single player story, players create their own custom characters to play as.
The Online game world is constantly evolving, with new cars, weapons, missions and locations being added throughout the game’s lifespan.
GTA Online features the same mechanics and gameplay as the offline version, meaning it is still focused on driving, shooting and engaging in criminal activities.
GTA Online players can communicate through voice chat, text through the in-game phones and see other player’s game-tags.
Players can purchase Shark Cards. These are microtransactions allowing players to spend real money in return for in-game currency.
There is no connection between the offline story and Online mode, meaning players can play the offline story or online independently.
GTA parental controls
GTA is intended for an adult audience, and it has no parental controls because of this. However, players can disable voice chat within the game’s settings.
To help prevent your child from accessing GTA, you can set controls within the settings of the device they game on.
Risks of GTA
GTA is rated PEGI 18, and this is because of the amount of mature content present in the game, as well as the presence of microtransactions in the Online mode. There are a range of risks to stay aware of.
Inappropriate content
In the game, players are encouraged to commit crimes and engage in violent activities, such as shooting police, gang members and civilians. Players can also visit strip clubs and come across sexual situations throughout the story. This violent and sexual content is inappropriate for children, especially as players control the characters and take part in many of the activities themselves.
Contact with strangers
In the Online mode, players can interact with each other. Some players might send uncomfortable or offensive messages or say inappropriate things through voice chat. They might also ask other players to interact with them on other, less regulated platforms.
Some players also ‘grief’, which is when a player deliberately irritates and harasses other players within the game. This can be upsetting to be on the receiving end of.
Excessive screen time
GTA is an engaging game with an open world design where players can explore the full map at any time, and this can make it hard for players to find a natural stopping point. Because of this, they might struggle to switch off, leading to excessive screen time.
Overspending
There are microtransactions present in GTA Online, in the form of Shark Cards. Players can spend real money in return for in-game currency. Shark Cards prices range from £3.99 to £74.99, and players can make repeat purchases. These cards offer a quicker way to get in-game currency than earning it through gameplay and completing missions.
As players will often compete against their friends, it is tempting for them to purchase Shark Cards to keep up. In-game currency is also required to access some areas and functions of the game, further encouraging them to purchase microtransactions.
Tips for parents
GTA VI is a huge game with a significant amount of cultural impact and media attention. Because of this, many gamers will want to play it, even if they are below the minimum age rating.
Here are some tips to help keep your child safe if they express an interest in Grand Theft Auto.
Set parental controls
While GTA has no parental controls, you can use the in-built controls in your child’s gaming device to prevent them from accessing content designed for older players.
Learn how to set controls on your child’s device.
Talk about gaming
Having regular conversations with your child about gaming can give you an insight into the type of content they are accessing. Keeping these conversations casual, asking about it in a similar way to how you’d ask about their day, will stop the question from feeling invasive and can lead to your child being more open to share.
Establishing communication around gaming can also help your child feel more comfortable coming to you for help if they have any concerns.
Additionally, you should ask about any gaming streamers they watch. GTA Online is one of the most popular games on streaming platforms like Twitch, so your child could be exposed to the game’s content even if they don’t play it directly.
Offer suitable alternatives
Telling your child they can’t play a game without offering an alternative is likely to produce a negative response. Instead, suggest other similar, more age-appropriate games they could play. Lego City Undercover is the most similar to GTA, allowing children to drive and explore an open world city, but on the side of police instead of crime. Mario Kart World offers racing and the ability to drive around the open world. For teens, Marvel’s Spider-Man lets them swing freely around a recreation of New York and engage in combat with a range of villains.
Set ground rules for play
If you decide to allow your teen to play GTA, you should first set some ground rules to help them engage with the game in a safer way. Turning off voice chat, limiting them to the single player story or playing alongside them are some ways help manage the risks that come with playing GTA.
Find more advice for sharing GTA with your child from Dr Rachel Kowert.
