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Grand Theft Auto V

Released 17 September 2013 Developer Rockstar North Publisher Rockstar Games

An open-world crime game set in the fictional city of Los Santos, in which you play three criminals in a single-player story full of heists, shootouts and car chases. It also includes GTA Online, a separate multiplayer world for up to 30 players with missions, businesses, races and a casino. It is made for adults and is classified R 18+ in Australia.

Money health HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design Mild2 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price A$44.95average of 2 store prices
Spending ceiling No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating ACBR 18+High impact sexual violence, high impact drug use, high impact violence, mature themes (rating shown on the Australian Steam page for GTA V Enhanced)

How it makes money

Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation

The game costs A$44.95 once (on the Rockstar Store and Steam in Australia), and that includes the full single-player story and access to GTA Online, which needs nothing more. In GTA Online, in-game money (GTA$) is sold for real money in packs called Shark Cards, and is spent on weapons, vehicles, properties and clothing; a Steam bundle that adds a Great White Shark Card to the game lists at A$67.95. GTA+ is an optional monthly subscription (A$11.95 a month on Steam) with extra perks. Take-Two has said that microtransactions have been the largest contributor to its digital revenue since GTA Online launched.

How you pay

  • Pay once

    A$44.95 on the Rockstar Store and Steam (Australia) for the single-player story and GTA Online access. Story Mode needs no further purchase.

  • Subscription

    GTA+ is an optional monthly subscription for GTA Online, A$11.95 a month on Steam. It was introduced in March 2022 on PS5 and Xbox Series and came to PC in March 2025, with in-game bonuses, exclusive content and, by September 2023, access to classic Rockstar games.

    minor part of the game
  • Editions

    The same game has been sold again on PS4 and Xbox One (2014), PC (2015) and PS5 and Xbox Series (2022). A PC 'Enhanced' version came out on 4 March 2025 as a free upgrade for existing PC owners.

    minor part of the game

Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing

  • Game currency

    GTA Online prices are in GTA$, which can be earned in play or bought with real money in Shark Cards. Items unlocked by levelling up must be bought with GTA$.

  • Pay to win

    Weapons, vehicles and properties used in GTA Online missions and free-roam fights are bought with GTA$, so a player who buys Shark Cards can equip themselves faster than one who earns the money in play.

    minor part of the game
  • Slot-machine

    The Diamond Casino & Resort in GTA Online (July 2019) lets players gamble with in-game chips on slot machines, roulette and blackjack. PEGI lists a gambling descriptor for the PS5 and Xbox Series versions.

    minor part of the game
  • Never-ending

    GTA Online has had no end point since 2013, with Rockstar releasing a content update every few months; recent ones include a mansion update (December 2025) and the Kortz Center Heist (July 2026).

  • Always online

    GTA Online needs Rockstar's servers; the PS3 and Xbox 360 servers were shut down on 16 December 2021 and microtransactions there ended on 15 September 2021.

    minor part of the game

Fairer alternatives

Similar games with a healthier money model

What it costs

Price: A$44.95

WhatWherePriceChecked
Grand Theft Auto V
Includes Story Mode and GTA Online
Rockstar Store (AU) · PC ↗ A$44.95 Oct 2026
Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Steam (AU) · PC ↗ A$44.95 Oct 2026
Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced & Great White Shark Card
Regular price of the bundle; it was on sale at A$29.89 on 22 October 2026
Steam (AU) · PC ↗ A$67.95 Oct 2026
GTA+
Auto-renewing
Steam (AU) · PC ↗ A$11.95/month Oct 2026

Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.

Reviews from across the web

What the critics said

92OpenCritic
Mighty
96Metacritic
Metascore
Very PositiveSteam
player reviews

Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.

Age ratings

Classification

ACBR 18+

Australian Classification · record ↗

High impact sexual violence, high impact drug use, high impact violence, mature themes (rating shown on the Australian Steam page for GTA V Enhanced)

ESRBM

ESRB (North America) · record ↗

Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Interactive elements: Users Interact, In-Game Purchases

PEGI18

PEGI (Europe) · record ↗

Violence, Bad language, In-game purchases, Gambling (PS5 and Xbox Series)

Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards

Safety & parental controls

Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?

  • Text and voice chat
  • Players can interact with strangers
  • Contains user-made content (not pre-checked by the developer)
  • Needs an online account

This is an adult game: it is classified R 18+ in Australia and PEGI 18, and it is illegal to sell it to under-18s here. GTA Online puts players in sessions of up to 30 strangers with open text and voice chat, free-roam violence between players, and a casino with simulated gambling. Players can also publish their own jobs made with the in-game Mission Creator. The single-player Story Mode can be played without joining GTA Online.

Platforms & release

Where you can play it

PlatformReleasedStore
PlayStation 5
Expanded and Enhanced version
15 March 2022 —
PlayStation 4 18 November 2014 —
Xbox Series X|S
Expanded and Enhanced version
15 March 2022 —
Xbox One 18 November 2014 —
Windows PC
Also on the Rockstar Store; 'Enhanced' PC version from 4 March 2025
14 April 2015 Store page ↗
PlayStation 3
Online servers shut down 16 December 2021
17 September 2013 —
Xbox 360
Online servers shut down 16 December 2021
17 September 2013 —

Further reading

Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.rockstargames.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, www.esrb.org, pegi.info, www.metacritic.com, opencritic.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.