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Because the world waits for Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar has lastly launched GTA 5 and GTA Online in each Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Regardless of launching virtually 12 years in the past and promoting 215 million copies elsewhere in the world, neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE had beforehand cleared Rockstar’s 2013 blockbuster on the market — till this week.
Points over the sport’s age ranking and native laws banning video games with violence, intercourse and drug use have lengthy stood in the best way of native followers taking part in GTA 5 legally — although as a Niko Partners report highlighted, some followers have beforehand received round restrictions by quietly importing boxed copies, or downloading the sport by way of PlayStation or Xbox accounts linked to different areas.
Now, followers can merely purchase a copy of GTA 5 legally, which has lastly been launched beneath the 2 international locations’ new 21+ age ranking. The launch of this increased age restriction, following the sooner introduction of localised age scores in 2016, has helped clean GTA 5’s belated path to launch — alongside a little bit of assist from Rockstar dad or mum firm Take-Two Interactive to grease the wheels.
A recently-agreed partnership between Take-Two and a Saudi agency, the Superior Initiative Firm, will see the latter now act because the native distributor for all Take-Two titles, together with GTA 5, WWE 2K, NBA 2K and Purple Lifeless Redemption.
The international locations, with a mixed inhabitants of round 44 million, will presumably now additionally grow to be a market in which Rockstar can promote GTA 6, when it lastly arrives.
After greater than a decade in growth and a current main delay, GTA 6 is at the moment set to launch on Might 9, 2026, pending any additional hold-ups.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You’ll be able to attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social