Gamers the world over are surely looking forward to Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6 for short), as this could certainly be the biggest video game launch of all time.
Back in 2013, millions were eagerly awaiting the release of its predecessor GTA V, a game that has sold a whopping 230 million copies to this day. Back then, people would rip the cellophane off the game box, pop in the disc into their Xbox 360 of PS3, and start playing after waiting for the game to install…
Nowadays, though, most gamers buy digital copies of games, one of the unspoken reasons why Sony announced it would be killing physical media in 2028. When it comes to GTA 6, though, it seems gamers won’t have another choice. Actually, Rockstar announced it had no plans to release GTA 6 on disc, much to the dismay of those looking to buy a physical copy on launch date (November 19, that is).
Confusingly enough, this doesn’t mean there won’t be a “physical edition” of the game. You’ll still be able to buy a boxed copy, there just won’t be a disc in it – only a code to download the game, adding it to your Xbox or PlayStation account.
However, an online leak points to a true physical copy of the game with a disc becoming available a month after release, sometime in December before the holidays. This also may be the time when Rockstar and publisher Take Two put out a collector’s edition of the game, I presume.
“Generally speaking, the release with the code will be a one-shot, and the option for a disc release will follow”, says Polish outlet ppe.pl (via videogameschronicle.com), which reported on other game leaks such as the eventual availability of a physical edition of last year’s Oblivion Remastered, plus the fact GTA 6 wouldn’t get a physical release at launch.
This will be great news for those willing to hold on and get the game on disc, but it’s obvious a great deal many gamers will shell out for a digital edition of GTA 6 in order to play on November 19. Actually, according to analytics firm Newzoo, GTA 6 could be the most pre-ordered game of all time, and puts it in the category of “proven sequel”. It expects the game to sell an incredible 37 million copies before launch at the very least, generating a stunning $3.3 billion US dollars before launch.
What if, then, GTA 6 turns out to be a bad game? This appears to be impossible taking into account Rockstar and publisher Take-Two have invested an insane amount of resources on the game, with more than 6,000 active developers working on it. It seems inevitable this will be a great game, and it would be the disappointment of the century if it wasn’t…
Will GTA 6 be as good as everyone expects?
Judging by the trailers we’ve seen so far, the game does look fantastic. A return to Vice City is something many GTA fans are looking forward to. It was a great setting in 2003’s GTA Vice City game, which took place in the 80’s. This time, though, the modern-day Vice City of GTA 6 forms part of the fictional US state of Leonida, a sunny vibrant place where protagonists Jason and Lucia end up embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. There will likely be great characters, a strong story, plenty of side activities and tons of content to enjoy, for Rockstar’s and its millions of fans’ sake…
For now, though, GTA V still stands as the top entry in the series, and the massively successful GTA Online was a spinoff of it, and is still very popular and a cash cow for Rockstar. The upcoming GTA 6 is likely to get some kind of online mode later down the road, but will be a single player-only experience at launch.
So while the lack of a disc-based version of the game at launch might baffle some, it’s not hard to figure out the reasons. Retailers would receive boxed copies of the game weeks before launch, and some might end up in the hands of people who would leak out the game’s story on YouTube, spoiling the experience for other players. This is likely Rockstar’s main motivation for not making the game available on disc on its release date.
Similarly, there won’t be a PC version of GTA 6 at launch. The PC’s superior graphical capabilities would lead to unfair comparisons with the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions, but it’s almost inevitable that a PC version will become available sometime in the future. For the time being, Rockstar is advertising that the PS5 will be the best place to play GTA 6… And as mentioned previously, GTA 6 will very likely ship on disc before this year is out too, even if most GTA fans will be lining up to play the game come its November release date, no doubt.