GTA 6 Censorship Fears Grow in Japan and Australia as Regional File Sizes Appear Smaller

Grand Theft Auto 6 has sparked censorship concerns after players discovered that versions in Japan, Australia and New Zealand appear to have different file sizes. The discrepancies emerged as preloads began ahead of the game's 19 November release, prompting fans to question whether content has been removed to meet local regulations.

The biggest difference has been reported in Japan, where the PlayStation 5 version is listed at 208.725GB, compared with 209.913GB in most other regions. The Xbox version is also smaller, fuelling speculation that Rockstar Games may be preparing a modified release.

Japan's Version Is More Than 1GB Smaller

Japanese players noticed that the local PS5 preload is approximately 1.19GB smaller than the global version. On Xbox Series X|S, the Japanese build is listed at 208.74GB, compared with 209.86GB elsewhere.

The difference has attracted attention because the Japanese storefront listing reportedly displays CERO content icons for crime and violence, but not sexual content. The game has received a CERO Z rating, meaning it is restricted to adults aged 18 and older.

That omission has raised questions because North American ESRB and European PEGI classifications describe strong sexual content. However, CERO's content icons work differently from those systems, and the absence of an icon alone does not prove sexual material has been removed.

Japan has previously received altered versions of games to comply with local rules. The Japanese release of GTA 5, for example, reportedly included changes to sexual and violent scenes. That history has encouraged players to suspect a similar approach for the new instalment, although Rockstar has not confirmed edits.

Australia and New Zealand Also Have a Different Build

The Australian and New Zealand versions have also drawn attention, although their file-size difference is far smaller. Dataminer TexFunz2 said the PS5 build in those regions is missing a data chunk named 'core_restofworld001', measuring around 704KB.

The discovery does not reveal what the missing file contains. It could be a small asset, image or other piece of data rather than a gameplay feature.

Australia has its own history of regulating video game content. Earlier Grand Theft Auto releases, including GTA 3 and Vice City, had material involving prostitutes removed from Australian versions. More recently, casino features in GTA Online were made unavailable in the country.

That has led some players to speculate that GTA 6's Australian version could have changes involving gambling. However, there is no confirmation that the missing data chunk relates to casino content or any specific feature.

Rockstar Has Yet to Explain the Differences

The file-size discrepancies and datamining findings have fuelled discussion online, with players asking Rockstar to clarify whether regional editions contain different material before launch.

Still, the evidence does not establish exactly what has changed, if anything. File sizes can vary because of regional assets, compression, language files or other technical differences. The Japanese build's larger gap is notable, but it cannot independently prove censorship.

Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive have not publicly explained the differences. The files also remain encrypted before release, limiting what outside observers can verify.

For now, players in Japan, Australia and New Zealand are waiting for official clarification. Until the game launches and its contents can be examined, claims about removed scenes, missions or features remain speculation rather than confirmed changes.