The same insider who claimed in February that Grand Theft Auto 6 wouldn’t launch with a physical version – which turned out to be almost correct – has now claimed a proper physical edition with a disc will launch in December.
A quick recap, in case you’ve been living under a rock: GTA 6 pre-orders went live overnight and Rockstar confirmed that while a physical version will be available it won’t include a disc. Instead, you’ll get a code in the box to be redeemed online on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.
Polish outlet PPE broke the news, having been tipped off with information from Graczdari, the insider source.
If true, a delayed disc version would achieve a couple of goals for Rockstar. As Connor found out talking to experts about GTA 6, having no disc allows greater protection against leaks, greater price control, and effectively eradicates second-hand sales. A second release also allows Rockstar another marketing moment close to Christmas.
The original insider report that stated there’d be no physical version of GTA 6 explained that this was because Rockstar was wary of leaks. At the time, though, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick shot down the idea.
Another line of thinking is that, if Rockstar is to eventually offer a proper physical version, it may only do so for the more expensive Ultimate Edition. The insider in question does not touch on that in their tip.
As exciting as yesterday’s news might have been, the issue of there being no disc in the game box has dominated discussion around GTA 6. While the practice is not entirely unprecedented, this is the highest-profile case yet.
Rockstar also caught flak for the high volume of content locked behind the more expensive Ultimate Edition (£90/$100), which includes a mission and entire in-game stores that buyers of the £70/$80 base edition won’t have access to.
GTA 6 launches 19th November on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
