Brazil's New Digital Law Blocks Rockstar Games From Selling Titles Directly in the Country

Brazil has officially enforced its new Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent, and the gaming industry is already feeling the weight of it.

The law, known locally as the Digital ECA or Lei Felca (Law No. 15.211/2025), came into effect on Monday, March 16, and it has wasted no time making its presence known.

Rockstar Games became the first major casualty, suspending all new game purchases through its own platform for Brazilian players.

Rockstar announced on its official support site that digital titles are no longer purchasable via the Rockstar Games Store or Launcher in Brazil. That means popular titles like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 cannot be bought directly through Rockstar's ecosystem anymore.

Image via Rockstar Games

So what exactly does this law demand? In short, it introduces a strict set of rules designed to protect minors in digital spaces. This includes proper age verification systems, tighter restrictions on data collection for advertising, and regulations around in-game purchases like loot boxes and microtransactions. It is a comprehensive overhaul, and companies that fail to comply face fines of up to R$50 million or 10% of their Brazil-based revenue.

Rockstar appears to have chosen to pull the plug on direct sales rather than rush to implement those changes. It is a calculated move to avoid potential violations while they figure out their next steps.

Importantly, if you already own any Rockstar titles purchased before March 16, 2026, you can still sign in, download, and play them normally through the launcher. Nothing changes for existing owners. Your existing in-game purchases (e.g., Shark Cards for GTA Online) still work.

Players looking to buy Rockstar games fresh can still do so through third-party storefronts. Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, and Microsoft Store remain unaffected for the time being.

Rockstar is not the only company adjusting to the new law. Riot Games is taking a different approach altogether. Rather than halting sales, they are temporarily raising age ratings to 18+ for several of their titles in Brazil starting around March 18. Games like League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift are among those impacted. It restricts access for under-18 players while Riot works on bringing their systems up to compliance.

The broader industry is also scrambling. Publishers across the board are revisiting loot boxes and gacha mechanics, as the law explicitly bans paid random rewards in games accessible to minors. Stricter age verification methods are being rolled out too. Self-declaration is no longer enough. Methods like CPF or ID checks and third-party verification tools are becoming the new standard. Parental controls, limits on advertising data collection, and curbs on compulsive spending features are all part of the new compliance checklist.

The law applies to any digital service that is likely to be accessed by minors, which is a broad definition that sweeps in far more than just children's games. Platforms like Fortnite and Roblox fall squarely in that net and are under scrutiny. Larger storefronts like Steam have existing age verification tools that may already satisfy some requirements, which is partly why no widespread suspensions have been reported from major players like Valve, EA, or Ubisoft yet.