ParentwiseStart for free

Game · High risk

Is Grand Theft Auto Online safe for your child?

Age guide

18+

We advise Grand Theft Auto Online from age 18 and up. Overall risk 10/10 (high risk).

5-8
This game is rated Mature 17+ and is not appropriate for children in this age group due to its violent and adult themes.
9-12
Grand Theft Auto Online contains mature content, including strong language, violence, and sexual themes, making it unsuitable for children under 17.
13-15
The game's M rating indicates it is not designed for this age group, featuring intense violence, drug use, and criminal activities that are inappropriate for young teens.
16+
Older teens may encounter open-world gameplay with a focus on criminal activities, competitive multiplayer modes, and in-game purchases using Shark Cards, alongside uncensored player communication.

Grand Theft Auto Online is an open-world action-adventure game set in a fictional state, where players engage in various criminal activities and missions. It features extensive multiplayer interactions within a persistent online world.

Age guide
18+
Overall risk
10/10
Violence
10/10
Toxic behaviour
9/10
Stranger contact
10/10
Addiction risk
9/10
Language
10/10
Influence
10/10

What parents should know

Grand Theft Auto Online is an open-world action-adventure game rated M for Mature 17+ due to its explicit content. It features extensive violence, strong language, drug use, and sexual themes. Parents should be aware of the online multiplayer component, which includes unmoderated player interactions and in-game purchases.

What to do about Grand Theft Auto Online

Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.

  • The age-by-age verdict
    What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Grand Theft Auto Online is 18+, and the answer changes with your child's age.
  • The one setting to change tonight
    The exact Grand Theft Auto Online setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it.
  • What to say
    Word-for-word openers for talking about Grand Theft Auto Online without a row.
  • Red flags to watch for
    The signals in Grand Theft Auto Online that mean it is time to step in.
See what to change tonight

Grand Theft Auto Online age rating and parents guide: common questions

What age rating is Grand Theft Auto Online?

Parentwise puts Grand Theft Auto Online at 18+. We advise Grand Theft Auto Online from age 18 and up. Overall risk 10/10 (high risk). Violence scores 10/10, language 10/10, stranger contact 10/10 and addiction risk 9/10.

Can a 10 year old play Grand Theft Auto Online?

Not by default: we advise Grand Theft Auto Online from 18+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Grand Theft Auto Online contains mature content, including strong language, violence, and sexual themes, making it unsuitable for children under 17.

Can a 12 year old play Grand Theft Auto Online?

Not by default: we advise Grand Theft Auto Online from 18+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Grand Theft Auto Online contains mature content, including strong language, violence, and sexual themes, making it unsuitable for children under 17.

Can a 13 year old play Grand Theft Auto Online?

Not by default: we advise Grand Theft Auto Online from 18+, so at 13 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. The game's M rating indicates it is not designed for this age group, featuring intense violence, drug use, and criminal activities that are inappropriate for young teens.

Is Grand Theft Auto Online appropriate for kids?

Grand Theft Auto Online is an open-world action-adventure game rated M for Mature 17+ due to its explicit content. Parentwise rates Grand Theft Auto Online overall as high risk (10/10), with stranger contact at 10/10 and addiction risk at 9/10.

Is Grand Theft Auto Online family friendly?

Grand Theft Auto Online is one of the higher-risk titles we rate, so treat it as supervised rather than family viewing. It features extensive violence, strong language, drug use, and sexual themes.

Grand Theft Auto Online parents guide: what should a parent know first?

Grand Theft Auto Online is an open-world action-adventure game rated M for Mature 17+ due to its explicit content. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (10/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (9/10).

Is Grand Theft Auto Online safe for kids?

We advise Grand Theft Auto Online from age 18 and up. Overall risk 10/10 (high risk). It features extensive violence, strong language, drug use, and sexual themes.

Parents also checked

Browse all 1,275 entries · Read our safety guides

Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.