GTA 6 Trailer Edited for China: Smoking, Dancing, and Nudity Removed

Last month, after a long wait and numerous leaks, Rockstar finally dropped the first official gameplay reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6 through an extended trailer that initially aired on Netflix before making its way to platforms like YouTube. The trailer showcases all the classic elements fans expect from a new GTA title, including firearms, nightlife, drugs, and mayhem. However, if you check out the extended gameplay trailer on Bilibili, a popular video-sharing platform in China, you’ll notice some peculiar and heavy censorship.

Recently, a user on GTA Forums named BDF (spotted by a tech enthusiast) shared screenshots of what seems to be a censored version of the GTA 6 extended trailer on Bilibili. This video was uploaded to Rockstar’s official channel and remains available on the site as of September 4. In this version, several segments are blurred out, likely to obscure certain content. BDF documented this, and it was confirmed that suggestive dancing, bloody scenes, underwear, and smoking are the primary elements that have been censored. This leads to some amusing moments, such as when Jason strolls through a nightclub, and nearly the entire screen is obscured.

What’s intriguing is that Rockstar initially uploaded an unedited version of the extended trailer to Bilibili, which was available until August 31, when it was replaced by the censored version. Strangely, the original GTA 6 trailers on Rockstar’s Bilibili channel remain uncensored; it’s only this extended look that has been altered to hide certain visuals.

According to BDF, while some speculate that this change was Rockstar’s attempt to shield younger audiences from mature content, other gamers in China suggest it reflects Take-Two’s perception of the country as “closed-off and backward,” leading to heavy censorship of video games and sexual themes. BDF also claims that Take-Two is actively targeting re-uploads of the uncensored trailer and having them taken down, sharing a screenshot from a friend who experienced this after posting the original gameplay trailer online.

Rockstar Games was contacted for further details regarding the censored trailer.

Interestingly, without needing a VPN, you can access Rockstar’s website in China and view the unedited, uncensored GTA 6 gameplay video complete with Chinese subtitles. This indicates that Rockstar and Take-Two are only censoring the Bilibili version of the extended trailer, though the reasons behind this remain unclear.