After years of anticipation and numerous leaks, Rockstar Games released the first official gameplay footage from Grand Theft Auto 6 in an extended trailer. The presentation premiered on Netflix before appearing on services including YouTube, showcasing the guns, drugs, violence and adult content expected from a new GTA game.
Viewers on China’s Bilibili video platform, however, encountered a substantially altered version. Rather than simply trimming individual scenes, the Bilibili upload uses extensive blurring to conceal smoking, suggestive dancing, underwear, cleavage and bloody bodies.
The differences were highlighted by GTA Forums user BDF and spotted by BenVideoTech. The edited video was uploaded to Rockstar’s official Bilibili channel, where it could still be found on the site as of September 4.
One particularly conspicuous example occurs when Jason enters a nightclub. So much of the scene has been obscured that the character is briefly surrounded by a large block of blurred footage. The result makes the edits impossible to miss rather than quietly removing particular details.
The censorship was not present from the beginning. Rockstar initially uploaded an uncensored version of the extended trailer to Bilibili, and that upload reportedly remained available until August 31. It was then replaced with the edited version.
Other GTA 6 trailers on Rockstar’s Bilibili channel reportedly remain unaltered, making the extended gameplay presentation the apparent exception. The changes specifically target material such as smoking and exposed cleavage, rather than applying uniformly to every video connected with the game.
BDF suggested that the edits could be an attempt to keep mature imagery away from younger viewers. Other Chinese players interpreted the decision as evidence that Take-Two Interactive expected stricter treatment of adult themes and video games in China. BDF also claimed that re-uploads of the uncensored trailer were being targeted for removal, citing a friend’s alleged takedown and sharing a screenshot as supporting evidence.
The situation remains difficult to interpret because Rockstar’s website can reportedly be accessed in China without a VPN, where the uncensored gameplay video is available with Chinese subtitles. Based on that distinction, the restrictions appear to affect the Bilibili version of the extended look rather than the footage across every official channel.
Rockstar Games was contacted for further information about the edited trailer, but the precise reason for the Bilibili changes was not known at the time of publication. For more coverage of gaming hardware and industry developments, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog and browse the latest arcade industry videos.
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