Why GTA 6 will be download only – and what that could mean for game ownership

The GTA franchise is one of the biggest and most profitable entertainment properties in history.

GTA V has sold nearly 230 million copies, and the launch of its successor is expected to be such a major economic event that Bank of America has weighed in on its price, external.

Despite this, Rockstar’s announcement has prompted some independent retailers to refuse to stock the code-in-a-box version.

VGP, an online retailer with a physical store in Toronto, said, external while it had “tremendous respect” for Rockstar, it was “committed to preserving the value of physical game ownership”, so would not be offering the product.

Lootbox Gaming, an independent retailer in Delaware, also declined to stock it, telling me the decision “speaks volumes about the future for AAA (big-budget) releases on physical media”.

Meanwhile, PNP Games, an online retailer with three stores in Winnipeg, has launched a petition, external, calling on Take-Two to release a physical disc version.

Piscatella suggested the code “may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don’t sell used”, given the number of PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles without disc drives.