Japanese Grand Theft Auto 6 players who purchase a code in a box have mere months before it expires and becomes useless.
Only 170 days after the issuance date – that’s GTA 6’s launch day, November 19 – Japanese digital download codes for GTA 6 will expire. This is in accordance with regional regulations.
The news can be found within Rockstar’s GTA 6 support page, which outlines details about platforms, editions, and versions of the game. It also details that GTA 6 can be pre-loaded from November 12, 2026.
This only applies to the PS5 version of the game, as Xbox digital download codes are not region-locked and not subject to the same regional restrictions. Japan is the only region where codes expire soon after release.
Players already upset about GTA 6 not having a disc release feel this justifies their fury. “The future of gaming is looking like crap,” said one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
“This is why physical media matters,” said another.
Rumors that a disc release for GTA 6 would come after launch were dashed, and a Rockstar support email clarified that the code-in-a-box release would be the only physical release in the foreseeable future.
The lack of a disc release hasn’t stopped GTA 6’s momentum, however, as the game reportedly has “the strongest pre-order campaign on record,” and is on track to sell 37-51 million in week one.
