Rockstar blurs GTA 6 trailer for Chinese audience
Rockstar Games has posted a version of its Grand Theft Auto 6 extended gameplay trailer on China's Bilibili platform that is heavily obscured by blur effects, per IGN and Kotaku.
The censored upload blurs out scenes showing dancing, smoking, and sexual content. Nightclub footage becomes a large purple smudge, and a character's hand holding a cigarette is hidden. Some shots of beach crowds and close-ups of bloody corpses are also covered.
Kotaku reports the video was not initially censored when it first appeared on Rockstar's Bilibili channel. According to forum user BDF, the unedited version was swapped for this blurred one around August 31.
BDF noted that the change sparked debate among Chinese users online. Some speculated it was to shield younger viewers, while others interpreted it as the publisher holding a stereotypical view of the Chinese market, according to the reports.
The unedited trailer remains viewable with Chinese subtitles on Rockstar's own website in China. The company, along with parent Take-Two Interactive, has reportedly issued takedowns for reposts of the uncensored footage on Bilibili.
