GTA 6 Boss Reveals Shocking Reason Physical Copies Won’t Exist — What This Means for Gamers
So, Rockstar’s parent company boss Strauss Zelnick thinks we don’t give a hoot about physical game discs anymore—even though gamers have been throwing a digital tantrum over GTA 6 dropping without one . With over 90% of their business streaming straight into consoles and PCs, Zelnick argues the old disc is about as relevant as a vinyl record in a Spotify world. But here’s the kicker: if you buy a boxed copy of GTA 6, you’re only getting a download code inside—a box that’s basically an empty promise of ownership. Fans aren’t exactly thrilled; debates over digital vs. physical have morphed into an all-out battle for what it really means to “own” a game these days. Is this just progress, or are we bidding farewell to the second-hand game market and trading convenience for control? Either way, with the game launching November 19 and an exclusive Netflix peek coming August 27, the hype’s real—but the disc debate? Still spinning. LEARN MORE
The boss of the company that owns Rockstar has indicated he believes gamers don’t care about discs, despite the huge backlash surrounding the decision to release GTA 6 without them.
Strauus Zelnick is the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar, and he has defended the decision for the highly anticipated GTA 6 to release without a disc.
“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” Zelnick said in a Q&A with analysts, as reported by IGN. “It’s already a digital business.
“So in certain instances, especially if it’s a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don’t really make sense for the consumer.
“Also, most instances, you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you’re already connected, who cares if you download digitally?
“It’s all the same and it’s much more convenient.”
Strauss Zelnick (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
GTA 6 releases on November 19 without a disc
Pre-orders for GTA 6 finally launched on June 25, but fans were left gutted when it emerged that a physical disc of the game will not be made. Even if you buy an actual box from a real life shop, it will only contain a download code.
The decision was soon followed by Sony’s announcement on July 1 that they will be discontinuing physical discs completely for PlayStation games from January 2028.
Zelnick didn’t comment on Sony’s decision directly, but did seem to suggest that he agrees with the stance.
He added: “So that’s where the world is going in our opinion and I think Sony understands that.
“We certainly understand that.
“It doesn’t mean that we won’t have physical additions now and then, I’m sure we will in the same way that there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business. But in other instances, it just won’t make sense.”
At present, there is no plans for a GTA 6 physical disc release even after launching on November 19.
Zelnick said in an interview with Variety in February that a digital-only launch was ‘not the plan’.
GTA 6 will release on November 19 (Rockstar Games)
Fans are still not happy about not having a GTA 6 disc
Gamers have not been left pleased by Zelnick’s comments on social media, with some even, in vain given the unprecedented number of times the game has already been pre-ordered without even a full game-play trailer, urging people not to buy GTA 6 when it’s finally released.
One X user wrote: “They’re using convenience to strip you of ownership, stop pre-ordering, GTAVI is not inevitable.”
Another vowed not to get the game, saying: “Well I definitely don’t need or want this game then lol.”
“The discussion around games shouldn’t just be about physical vs. digital,” another posed.
“It should be about ownership. We need the right to actually own our digital purchases. “Right now, gamers are losing on both fronts.”
One called it the ‘death of the second-hand market’ while another said: “Time to finish that backlog and be done with gaming then. There’s plenty of hobbies to pass time with.”
Even if some couldn’t argue with Zelnick’s logic, they have certainly argued that digital games should come down in price given the savings made on not creating a physical disc.
“They’re not wrong, but charging full price for a plastic case with a download code is wild,” one person said.
Another added: “THEN CUT THE PRICE OF THE GAMES… YOU DONT NEED TO PHYSICALLY SHIP THEM ANYMORE.”
“What doesn’t make sense,” another wrote, “is paying more than any game ever when there’s no disc included.”
If a game doesn’t have a disc, that means it’s impossible to trade it in, which could end a whole ecosystem of picking up bargains at the likes of CEX or GameStop.
A disc-less future has also raised concerns over media ownership, backwards compatibility and pricing.
Yet, the hype around GTA 6 is at fever pitch and Rockstar will finally give eager fans an ‘extended look’ at the game on Netflix on August 27.
LADbible Group has approached Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive for comment.
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