Why Was the Grand Theft Auto Series Banned in Some Countries
Back in 2004, when Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released, we all played as CJ and explored Los Santos. The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series sold over 455 million copies worldwide by late 2025. Everyone loves the game, maps, and stories.
We all liked the GTA series, but it was not liked by everyone, and some governments or game rating boards banned it. But why was the Grand Theft Auto series banned in some countries due to graphic violence, sexual content, drugs, gambling, and crimes like stealing cars.
The biggest problem came from the Hot Coffee scandal in San Andreas. Players unlocked hidden sex scenes, and BBC and IGN reported it a lot. Australia removed the game from stores. Rockstar Games quickly fixed the issue, but the controversy is still ongoing. The game regulators called this too explicit, and some countries started banning their games.
Read also: GTA San Andreas Voice Actors
History of GTA Controversies & Censorship
- In 2001, Rockstar Games released GTA III, in which players can easily steal cars and shoot at cars and people, and people started saying that youngsters started copying the game’s violence.
- In 2004, GTA San Andreas was released, where players play as CJ in an open-world map. Some people found the Hot Coffee content and unlocked hidden sex scenes. After this, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) investigated this issue and changed the “M” rating to “AO.” Moreover, some stores have stopped selling GTA San Andreas.
- When GTA V was officially released in 2013, the controversy came back, and some countries, like the UAE and Thailand, banned GTA V due to its content.
Why Was the Grand Theft Auto Series Banned?
Here is a complete list of countries with reasons why they banned the GTA series in their country.
Download: GTA San Andreas PC
Australia
Australia banned GTA San Andreas just because of the Hot Coffee MOD, in which players can unlock mini sexual games. Rockstar Games removed this hidden content, and after some time, Australia released the censored version of the game.
Germany
In Germany, the BPjM takes action against GTA games because the games have gory violence. The game was again released in 2012, but this time with a censored version. In this version, players cannot kick people when they are lying on the ground.
UAE & Saudi Arabia
UAE and Saudi Arabia banned Grand Theft Auto V for about 12 years because of its content. (drugs, violence, sex) And in July 2025, the game was officially launched with a 21+ age rating. It means GTA V can be played in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with people over 21+ age people.
Thailand
After the taxi driver incident, all GTA series were banned in Thailand. In Thailand, an 18-year-old teenager murdered a Taxi driver and claimed that he was inspired by GTA. After this incident, Thai authorities banned the whole GTA series.
China
In China, the GTA was still banned due to its content violations, such as drugs, violence, and sexual content.
Note: There are also many countries that do not completely ban GTA games but somehow restrict them.
The main reasons for banning the GTA series in some countries are violence, crime, sexual content, drugs, and religious reasons. In Islam, some scholars stated that the GTA series is banned in their religion due to its mature content.
Download: GTA SA MOD APK
| Country | Games | Main Reason | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | San Andreas | Sexual content (Hot Coffee) | Released but with a censored version. |
| Germany | San Andreas, Vice City | Gore/violence | Released but with a censored version. |
| UAE & Saudi Arabia | GTA V (until 2025) | Violence/drugs/sex | Released, but with an age restriction |
| Thailand | Entire series | Youth violence influence | Fully banned |
| China | All titles | Drugs/violence/“Western” | Unofficial only |
| Malaysia | Multiple | Violence/sex | Restricted |
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Conclusion
There are many countries in the world that ban or censor GTA games due to their mature content. In Australia, GTA San Andreas was banned due to its sexual mini-games, but later the game was released again with a censored version.
Finally, the UAE & Saudi Arabia officially launched Grand Theft Auto (V), but with an age restriction. Only players over 21 years old can play GTA V. China still bans all the Grand Theft Auto series due to its mature content. However, some countries do not completely ban all Grand Theft Auto games but somehow restrict them.