Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the decision not to release Grand Theft Auto VI on a traditional physical disc, arguing that the games business has already moved overwhelmingly toward digital distribution. GTA 6 will still appear in retail stores in a box, but instead of a playable disc, buyers will receive a digital download code.
Speaking during an investor Q&A, Zelnick said Take-Two’s business is now “well over 90% digitally distributed,” before adding that for some major releases, discs “don’t really make sense for the consumer.” He suggested physical games could eventually occupy a smaller enthusiast market comparable to vinyl records, while noting that Take-Two could still produce physical products where appropriate.
The comments give a clearer explanation for one of Rockstar’s more controversial decisions surrounding GTA 6. Rockstar and Take-Two confirmed in June that the game’s so-called physical version will contain a download code rather than a game disc. Those boxed copies are scheduled to become available on November 12, one week before GTA 6 launches on November 19, allowing players to preload the game.
Take-Two’s financial results help explain Zelnick’s position. During its fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, the company generated $6.72 billion in net bookings. Digital online distribution accounted for $6.53 billion, or 97% of that total, while physical retail and other distribution represented just 3%. The same 97-to-3 split applied during the final quarter of the fiscal year.
That makes eliminating a traditional GTA 6 disc considerably less surprising from a business perspective. Digital distribution removes manufacturing and shipping requirements and gives publishers greater control over distribution. However, the decision also removes several advantages associated with conventional physical games, including the ability for consumers to easily resell, lend or collect a playable disc.
GTA 6 is an especially significant test of whether consumers are willing to accept that trade-off because of the enormous demand surrounding the game. Take-Two said GTA 6’s early preorder engagement has been “unprecedented,” while the company continues to forecast between $8 billion and $8.2 billion in net bookings for fiscal 2027. GTA V, meanwhile, has already sold more than 230 million copies since its original 2013 launch, illustrating the scale of the audience Rockstar is bringing into the transition.
The terminology is important. GTA 6 technically does have a “physical version,” but it is not a physical copy of the game in the traditional sense. Rockstar’s own support documentation explicitly says that a disc “will not be included in the box.” Both the Standard and Ultimate editions are otherwise available digitally for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Unless Rockstar changes course, GTA 6 could therefore become one of the clearest examples yet of a major console publisher moving beyond discs even for its biggest releases. Given Take-Two’s existing 97% digital bookings mix and Zelnick’s latest comments, there is currently little indication that a conventional GTA 6 disc is part of the company’s plans.
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