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
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
- 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 - Pay once
A$44.95 on the Rockstar Store and Steam (Australia) for the single-player story and GTA Online access. Story Mode needs no further purchase.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Slot-machine
The Diamond Casino & Resort in GTA Online (July 2019) lets players gamble with in-game chips on slot machines, roulette and blackjack. PEGI lists a gambling descriptor for the PS5 and Xbox Series versions.
minor part of the game - Never-ending
GTA Online has had no end point since 2013, with Rockstar releasing a content update every few months; recent ones include a mansion update (December 2025) and the Kortz Center Heist (July 2026).
- Game currency
GTA Online prices are in GTA$, 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 - 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
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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10/ 10
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92/ 100
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9/ 10
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9.8/ 10
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5/ 5
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencestrong
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ACB, ESRB and PEGI descriptors - Blood & gorestrong
Blood, injuries and body damage on screen.
From ESRB descriptors - Sex & nuditystrong
Sexual references, innuendo, sexualised imagery, nudity and sex scenes.
From ACB and ESRB descriptors - Drugs & alcoholstrong
References to, or use of, illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
From ACB and ESRB descriptors - Languagestrong
Swearing and crude language, from the odd 'damn' to frequent strong profanity.
From ESRB and PEGI descriptors - Sim. gamblingstrong
Casino games and gambling imagery, played without real money.
From PEGI descriptors - Mature themesstrong
Crime, cruelty, death, suicide and self-harm, discrimination, and crude humour.
From ACB and ESRB descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges 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.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
- Misleading ads
Misleading-marketing action
2006: settled US FTC charges over marketing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas without disclosing hidden sexual content ('Hot Coffee'). - Crunch
Crunch reports
2018: Kotaku and The Verge reported long hours and pressure to work overtime on Red Dead Redemption 2; Rockstar disputed that overtime was mandatory. - Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
December 2021: closed GTA Online on PS3 and Xbox 360 without refunds; purchased currency and items could not be moved to other platforms. In 2021 it also delisted the original GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas from digital stores, later restoring the PC versions.
Latest on the record
- Labour
Fired 31 staff; union alleged union-busting
GamesIndustry.biz - Game preservation
Removed original GTA trilogy from digital stores ahead of remasters
Eurogamer - Game preservation
Announced the end of GTA Online on PS3 and Xbox 360
Engadget
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Official website
- Grand Theft Auto V on Wikipedia
- Grand Theft Auto Online on Wikipedia
- GTA V Enhanced on Steam (Australia)
- Wikipedia
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.