It’s been a rough week for collectors of physical media. In what felt like a one-two punch for people clinging to a sense of ownership over their entertainment, Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive revealed that physical copies of the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto VI will not include a disc. Instead, gamers who purchase physical editions of “the most important game in over a decade” will receive a box containing a digital download code. Shortly after Rockstar announced its release plans for GTA VI, PlayStation users received an unwelcome message advising them that movies purchased from the StudioCanal catalog will no longer be available to watch after September 1, 2026. How many movies is that? More than 500 titles, including movies like The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the first three Rambo films. People often joke about living in the darkest timeline. It’s not felt like a joke for a while.
The silver lining to the Grand Theft Auto VI situation is paper-thin, with physical copies being available for people who pre-order the game on November 12. Picking up the game a few days before its official November 19 release means you can pre-download it and be ready when it goes live, presumably at midnight on the 12th.
It’s widely believed that Rockstar isn’t including a disc version of Grand Theft Auto VI to help avoid early leaks of the game. There’s also a chance the studio has a dastardly plan to release a disc version of the game after its initial release to double-dip on sales. Grand Theft Auto VI cost an estimated $1-2 billion to make, so it’s understandable why Rockstar is taking precautions ahead of its release. That said, it’s not like the game won’t make its money back. Pre-orders are already racking up, with scalpers even purchasing hundreds of physical copies to resell online. If you ask me, the whole thing is out of control. Then again, would GTA VI even fit on a disc? Multiple discs? We still don’t know how much hard drive space you’ll need to play the damn thing.
Another wild aspect of Grand Theft Auto VI is that Rockstar is releasing two versions of the game at launch. The base version will cost $79.99 USD, while the Ultimate Edition (which comes with additional features you can only access if you pony up extra dough) will run you $99.99 USD. Rockstar says Grand Theft Auto VI “features a single-player experience launching on November 19 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.”
Copies of the game purchased before November 20 will include an additional Vintage Vice City Pack with more cosmetics and cars. However, customers of the physical edition should note that this is only guaranteed “while supplies last.” Digital pre-orders also get you a free month of GTA+, which Rockstar has yet to share details about. We literally have no idea how GTA Online will work in the future.
What a mess. After having more than a decade to develop Grand Theft Auto VI, you’d think Rockstar would come up with a more creative way to roll out the latest chapter of the GTA franchise. A lot of what’s happening around this game feels predatory, and, unfortunately, expected. Rockstar is the type of studio that writes its own rules, and most gamers will let them get away with it because FOMO is real when it comes to this franchise. Like countless others, I’ll likely bend the knee and pick up the Ultimate Edition. Rockstar has its audience by the shorthairs. They know it. They love it. Fork it over, friends. I’ll see you on November 19.