It is possible that Rockstar Games’ long-awaited game will not receive a version that avoids downloading who-knows-how-many GB…
In January, the Polish outlet PPE published a worrying rumor about Grand Theft Auto VI. According to its sources, Rockstar and Take-Two were planning an exclusively digital release for the highly anticipated game, primarily to avoid spoilers. Both Rockstar and Take-Two later denied the report.
However, when pre-orders began this week, buyers discovered that physical copies sold by retailers only include a download code rather than an actual disc. That disappointed many people, especially those who hoped to buy a used copy at a lower price after release.
Those hopes quickly returned when PPE published a new rumor claiming that retail copies of Grand Theft Auto VI would arrive on actual physical discs in December. A reliable source has now reportedly said the opposite. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that a source familiar with the plans stated that there are currently no plans to manufacture physical discs for Grand Theft Auto VI, either at launch or months later.
The report surfaced just as the data strongly supports the publisher’s decision. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, US spending on new physical games reached an all-time low in 2025. The total was only $1.5 billion, the weakest figure Circana, formerly known as NPD, has recorded since it began tracking the market in 1995.
That represents an astonishing 87 percent decline from the $11.6 billion peak reached in 2008. Spending on physical games in the United States has already fallen by more than half since 2021. The situation is similar in the United Kingdom, where Entertainment Retail Association data showed that boxed game sales dropped by 35 percent in 2024 and now account for only 27 percent of all game sales in the country.
Although the pace of decline slowed to 11 percent in 2025, Piscatella warned that the change could simply mean the market is approaching its floor rather than experiencing a genuine recovery. The goal is clear: with Grand Theft Auto VI arriving on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, Rockstar and Take-Two may want to eliminate used discs and keep even more money from every sale.
Source: WCCFTech, The Hollywood Reporter
