Several gaming stores are boycotting the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 due to the lack of proper physical release.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is due to launch November 19 and pre-orders for the long-awaited game went live last week. As it stands, fans can order one of two versions – standard and ultimate – as either a digital download or a physical case with a download code inside it.
Last week, a Rockstar employee claimed a proper physical release would follow in the months after the initial launch but according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, that was just the Internet being “hopeful” and there are currently “no plans for Grand Theft Auto VI discs to be printed — not at launch, and not months after.”
Ngl all videogame stores should be doing this, their mere existance ends when physical media dies.
If any game store is selling this scam of a physical edition they are threatening their own existence, next step is not releasing any kind of piece of plastic and go full digital. https://t.co/qx85OdLzZb— Kercy (@KdeKercy) June 24, 2026
Because of this, a number of gaming stores have said they’ll be boycotting Grand Theft Auto 6. “Assuming information about it being a code in box is true, we will not be supporting the release of GTA 6,” indie store Loot Box Gaming wrote on X. “When we started LBG, it was out of a love for our favourite form of media, gaming, as well as the preservation of said media. If a product can’t honour the people who pay their hard earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else.”
“For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership. As part of that commitment, our company policy is that we do not carry physical products for video game consoles that contain only a digital download code. As a result, VGP will not be offering Grand Theft Auto 6 for sale under our current company policy,” said another indie retailer, VGP. “Thank you for your continued support of physical gaming and for helping us champion game preservation and ownership for nearly four decades.”
Gamers don’t like digital-only releases because you’re only buying a license to play the game which can be revoked at any time, whereas owning a physical copy of the game means it can’t be taken off you.
In other news, Ice Nine Kills have teamed up with Tony Hawk for their bruising new Dead By Daylight anthem ‘Play Dead’ – check it out here.