In light of the recent backlash about Grand Theft Auto 6’s physical release on November 19th not including a disc in the box, it looks like the company has planned to release a disc version at a later date. According to Vice, a Rockstar Games support representative has said that a physical copy will be released “during the following months.”
It is worth noting that whether there are real plans to release a physical version of Grand Theft Auto 6 with an included disc or whether this was simply an auto-generated email response is currently unknown.
In the meantime, a report by Polish outlet PPE.pl has indicated that there are indeed plans to release GTA 6 on disc. According to the report, “GTA 6 is to be sold with a code in the box only around the release, and then we will receive a normal boxed version of the game – with a disc on which we will find data allowing us to run GTA 6 without assigning a key/access to our account on PlayStation or Xbox.” The report went on to note that the disc is expected to be released in December 2026.
The decision to make the physical release of Grand Theft Auto 6 only include a redeemable code rather than a disc has been an unpopular one. While gamers who enjoy collecting discs have been vocal about their frustrations, even people who are more interested in the conservation of video games have criticized Rockstar Games for this.
Rumors about the physical version of Grand Theft Auto 6 not including a disc first started going around in January. At the time, a leaker had said that there was “conflicting information” about the release and that it “won’t happen until early 2027.”
When asked about these rumors during an earnings call Q&A in February, CEO of parent company Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick, said, “That’s not the plan.”
As for whether this move will have any tangible impact on the sales of Grand Theft Auto 6, Circana’s Mat Piscatella – an industry analyst – doesn’t seem to think so. He noted that there are already many gamers out there with a PS5 Digital Edition or an Xbox Series S – consoles that lack disc drives. Along with this, he said that the lack of a disc in the physical release also benefits retailers, since a redeemable code essentially kills off the potential for a second-hand market for the title.
“Anyways, devil’s advocate here, but given the % of PS5/XBS consoles out there without a disc drive, one could argue code in box may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don’t sell used,” he wrote. “In any case, can’t say this changes anything regarding total sales expectations.”
Grand Theft Auto 6 is being developed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders for the game are now live, with a standard edition priced at $80 and an Ultimate Edition priced at $100. For more on how this pricing might impact the games industry, check out what analysts have to say.
