GTA 6 has no disc, and Take-Two's CEO says physical games will survive only the way vinyl has
GTA 6's boxes hold only a download code. Asked whether Take-Two is done with discs, Strauss Zelnick told The Game Business that physical games will last like vinyl records, as a very small business.
Grand Theft Auto VI's boxed edition comes without a disc: just a download code, printed inside the back cover. Asked whether that means Take-Two is ending its relationship with discs, the company's chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, said not quite. There will always be some physical business, he told Christopher Dring of The Game Business in an interview published Nov. 12, "in the same way that there's still a vinyl business in recorded music." But he said it will be a very small part of the business.
Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, now does about 98% of its business digitally, with 2% coming through traditional stores, according to The Game Business. Zelnick said he predicted more than a decade ago that digital would reach well over 90%, and that he got that one right.
What it means for GTA 6
Nothing changes for launch. Rockstar hasn't announced a disc version, and the Rockstar Store says plainly that no disc comes in the box. The box holds a code to redeem on the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store, a double-sided poster and an empty disc holder; our story on the code and the flashlight reports has what testers found inside, and our Is it true? page on discs tracks the question.
The difference matters if you like to lend or sell your games: once a code is redeemed, the game is tied to that PlayStation or Xbox account, and the box is just a box.
GTA 6 is already moving the market
Zelnick also told The Game Business that NBA 2K27, Take-Two's basketball game, came in below the company's forecast, though it's the series' second-best release ever, and that the presales and expectations around GTA 6 have certainly influenced the rest of the entertainment business. Asked about Take-Two's new sports studio, Small Axe, he said he never claims success before it happens.
In a Nov. 9 interview with IGN, he said GTA 6 won't be delayed again. Our story on his Nov. 9 comments has what he said about Rockstar's next decade, and GTA 6 comes out Nov. 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Questions readers ask
- Will GTA 6 have a disc version?
- Rockstar hasn't announced one. The boxed edition holds a download code printed inside the cover, and the Rockstar Store says no disc is included. Take-Two's CEO says the company's business is now almost entirely digital.
- What did Take-Two's CEO say about physical games?
- Strauss Zelnick told The Game Business on Nov. 12 that there will always be some physical business, in the same way that vinyl survives in recorded music, but that it will be a very small part of the business.
- How much of Take-Two's business is digital?
- About 98%, with 2% coming through traditional retail, according to The Game Business. Zelnick says he predicted more than 10 years ago that digital would be well over 90% of the business.
What did you think?
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