No, There Is No GTA 6 Physical Disc Coming Out at Launch or the Months After — Those Reports and Social Media Posts Are Incorrect

Viral social media posts and articles claiming a physical disc copy of GTA 6 is in the works are incorrect.

Various articles and social media accounts reported that GTA 6 would launch on an actual disc by the end of this year after an image featuring comments from Rockstar Support went viral, garnering millions of views. The support email said: “You will be able to acquire a physical copy during the following months.” While the email is legitimate, it does not indicate a disc version is in the works.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the support email was a genuine response to a ticket filed to Rockstar Support asking for a disc version of GTA 6, and that while the response was poorly worded, it did not announce any change in policy, nor confirm a disc release was in the works.

THR said “a source with knowledge” of Rockstar’s GTA 6 launch strategy told it there are “no plans” for GTA 6 discs to be printed, “not at launch, and not months after.”

When Rockstar Support mentioned a “physical copy,” it was referring to the physical version the company has already announced — the one that comes with just a code in the box. “The following months,” just means following preorders going live this week and all the announcements that came with it, not the following months after GTA 6 goes live in November.

Now, plenty of people have questioned Rockstar’s announcement language here — should we really be calling it a “physical version” if there’s no disc? But the upshot is there is no disc coming. So, if you want to play GTA 6, you’ll need to download the game.

There were also headlines this week based on a report from a Polish website and its “insider” who claimed a disc version of GTA 6 was due out in December. While the report provided fans with more hope, it was wrong, too.

Why has Rockstar decided not to go with a disc version of GTA 6, and risking angering core gamers in the process? There are a number of reasons, analysts told IGN this week, and they all make commercial sense. Meanwhile, some retailers are refusing to sell GTA 6 because the physical version lacks a disc.

Yesterday, IGN reported on the results of our own poll where we asked if you’re going to buy the $100 Ultimate Edition or the $80 Standard Edition. Somewhat surprisingly, over 70% of you intend to buy the more expensive version.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].