Rockstar later released a “clean” version of the video game that was allowed to keep its original M rating.
The same year, ESRB announced GTA: San Andreas’ rating had increased from Mature to Adults Only, making it the first (and only) Grand Theft Auto game to receive such an extreme rating. The ESRB subsequently launched an investigation into GTA: San Andreas’ Hot Coffee mini-game. Despite Rockstar’s statement, the controversy eventually caught the attention of activists and politicians, some of which began demanding a review of the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s (ESRB) standards.
