this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2026
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Video Games Plus, a gaming retailer based out of Canada, and an independent gaming retailer known as Loot Box Gaming have both stated that they won't be selling GTA 6.

Not huge retailers in the grand scheme of things, but interesting to see at least some taking a stand especially when they are almost certainly losing out on money by doing so.

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[–] SoupBrick@pawb.social 268 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Video Game Plus pointed to its policy of not selling games that only offer digital codes, and as a result, it will not sell the biggest game of 2026. The retailer noted that this isn't a reflection of Rockstar Games or the game itself, but argued that it's part of their goal of preserving physical media.

Based

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 106 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"The biggest game of 2026"

Is it a terabyte or something?

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 81 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)

300GB apparently. So not far off. Especially with SSD prices these days.

[–] Tim_Bisley@piefed.social 45 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

WTF...so much for optimization.

[–] pleb_maximus@piefed.zip 14 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Blame the people wanting to be able to see every flies asshole. Textures get huge fast.

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[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Man, they should offer disc anyway so gen-z can experience the "please insert disc 2 and press continue" while installing.

[–] subignition@piefed.social 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It'll be the Windows 95 14-disk floppy set all over again, but this time with 18 DVDs

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[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

No, but the packaging is a refrigerator box.

[–] adarza@piefed.ca 11 points 2 weeks ago

the keycode is laser-etched onto one of the nails holding it together.

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[–] godsammitdam@lemmy.zip 65 points 2 weeks ago (15 children)

"Security measure to not leak the game"

Entirely BS. How has the entire games industry existed before then?

Can we also talk about how they're locking full on content behind the ultimate edition? Not just some cosmetics, but the actual shops you'd go to in game to customize your character. In a single player game. That's fucked.

It's enough that I'm not getting the game. I can wait for PC and we'll see if they release it as a full game rather tham carve it up. This is just an excuse not to have a $100 base price so they avoid that backlash while they effectively have it for the full game.

Remember when you bought a game and it was yours?

Remember when you unlocked things in game through completion and achievement?

Remember when you bought a game you got the whole game, not 70% and access to a storefront?

Fuck AAA gaming man. I feel sorry for the devs and artists who work so hard on a game only for executives to slice it up and smear the goodwill the game had by attempting to be predatory and parasitic capitalists.

Fuck the billionaires.

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[–] Bacano@lemmy.world 59 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Retailers should know that selling this is a poison pill. If no disc launches become the norm, then retailers will no longer serve a purpose in the industry.

They've been trying to kill the second hand market for decades and this release is the biggest threat to it yet.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yep. Nevermind the fact that the second hand market is fantastic advertising for the companies and the quality of their games, and a surefire way to manufacture future customers.

I cant tell you how many brand new games I bought over the years, because I picked up a previous release used.

Hell, Final Fantasy is a fine example.. I got FF4 used from a garage sale.. which lead to me buying 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15.. some of those games multiple times for new platforms.

One used game, translated into additional sales of almost every game that followed.

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

They don't want the secondhand market. There's no tangible profit there. They don't want you to buy games. There's tangible profit there only once. They want you to subscribe. They want recurring payments whether you use it or not. They want you to feel obliged to play certain games because you're already automatically sending the money. They do not give a shit if you finish a title. Eyes on the screen in their ecosystem is all they want. It doesn't matter if it's the console manufacturer or the game developer. GTA(#) has been hyped for decades, they don't need a physical GTAV to float around to convince a handful of people to buy GTAVI. GTA is not in the same market as FF

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[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I still can’t find Ultra HD discs in the shops either - it’s easier to find low res DVDs in 2026 than 4k discs even though most TVs sold now are 4k.

I have become convinced that Sony are deliberately sabotaging their own format because Sony Pictures ran the numbers and concluded they’d make more money if everyone had to stream.

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[–] Eternal192@anarchist.nexus 57 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

This game is way too overhyped and I've played GTA 3, San Andreas, 4 and 5.

San Andreas was the best one for me, 4 was boring because of all the constant let's go play darts, let's go to the strip club especially with Roman fuck you Roman, 5 i completed because i was hoping that by the end i'd like it because it was worth it, it wasn't and 3 was ok but that was during the PS2 era so if i played it today might have different opinion.

Haven't seen much about it or i just missed it other than it's a brother sister game and if it's like 4 and 5 i won't even bother watching a YT story video but if it's kinda like San Andreas then it might have a chance with me.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

5 was really mid because of the story. 2/3 of the characters you play as have already reached the end of their character arcs, and they spend most of the time bitching about how they'd rather not be doing any of the missions you're forced to do. Really brings home how much of the missions are unnecessary bullshit they're roped into by weird plot contrivances. Even the ones where they're doing a big heist for huge profits ... why? Again, 2/3 of them already have plenty of money and other shit going on. They don't need it. Splitting it into 3 characters is also a mistake, IMO -- it dilutes your experience with each one, so you never really bond with or identify with any of them as much as you might if there was only 1 playable character.

And then there's the money and progression. In SA, you start out with next to nothing. There's lots of stuff you can't afford, which makes every dollar you manage to gain meaningful. Collecting stuff and completing missions can mean the difference between being able to afford a cool gun or not, between being able to afford a new safehouse or not. You eventually progress to being able to afford all of it ... through your own work and effort. And then the whole gang wars part gives you even more progression as you slowly take over all the gang territory in the city. But in 5, again 2/3 of the characters start with enough money to afford anything in the game. And the 3rd character quickly gains just as much after only a few missions. There was never a single point in all of playing through 5 where I found anything they couldn't already afford. That really robs the game of a sense of progression. You never really unlock anything new that you couldn't have before (aside from a few safehouse locations that are mission-related). You have no reason to care whether you're collecting money and mission rewards or not -- it's all meaningless money that you'll never spend anyway. And that again contributes to a sense of meaninglessness when it comes to the story missions. Completing a mission makes no difference to you or your character -- just another arbitrary challenge to be overcome, and the only reward is getting a little closer to being able to say you finished the game.

What made SA great is the story and the sense of progression. If GTA 6 doesn't bring that back, I think I'm ready to give up on the franchise.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago

5 felt like they half wrote 3 different games, realized they were running out of time, and then smushed them all together. Finishing the campaign becomes a chore long before the ending. Speaking of the ending if you do manage to chug through your reward is an abrupt and extremely weak ending that again feels like they just ran out of time

It’s crazy because then they plopped out red dead 2 which was a tremendously excellent narrative by comparison. They clearly have the means to make something fantastic.

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[–] tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I kinda liked the memes from 4. When online worked, I did the swing set glitch for hours at a time. 5 had the heist missions and those were fun.

But everything was hampered by their dog shit shooting mechanics. In a game where you shoot this much, it shouldn’t feel so bad.

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[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 47 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not buying GTA 6 anyway

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Same. I kinda liked gta 5. But i was more intrigued to play online with my friends. Remember the online trailers? People doing cool stuff and mess around in the sandbox? Yeah no, i forgot about people who would play gtao are people who play gta.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

GTA online was awful. You can never do anything because you would always get blown up because they kept putting in stupid overpowered vehicles.

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[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 32 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

[for consoles] if it doesn't have a disc, i won't pay more than $5 for it.

unless it's stardew. then i'll buy it for every system.

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[–] jownz@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago (21 children)

No physical, no purchase. Period. I guess I'll need to wait.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I fear they're the trendsetter and physical copies will become a thing of the past in the next couple of years.

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[–] SolarPunker@slrpnk.net 23 points 2 weeks ago
[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

GTA 6's launch will be a terrible day for the video games industry.

A lot of releases postponed due to some boring ass game about gangs and crime. For some reason, everyone wants to just drive around and shoot people, instead of experiencing interesting stories? Whatever.

Not to mention all of their shitty decisions, lies, union busting, and more, which will have essentially been forgotten with GTA 6's launch. No matter how much they lost or will lose in lawsuits, they'll just make it back tenfold from GTA 6, and continue with their scummy practices.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 28 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

For some reason, everyone wants to just drive around and shoot people, instead of experiencing interesting stories?

What a weird take. Every single GTA game has had a story and it's pretty obvious that this one's going to have a story too. You can complain about all sorts of things to do with rockstar but that's just a weird thing to say.

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[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yes. I'm much more interested in the new The Witcher 3 DLC than in this, for example.

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[–] sandwich@lemmy.zip 15 points 2 weeks ago

Can I order the disc and return it from my least favorite online marketplace after I use the code?

[–] BananaIsABerry@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It's interesting to watch the cycle of bullshit that happens around every hyped game.

Years up to the release, people are full of wild speculation, impossible expectations, and excitement.

Months up to the release, suddenly every piece of news is blown massively out of proportion. People are now extremely overreacting to every minor piece of news like it's going to end this game.

The internet is so boring when it comes to video games. Reviews have become useless because nothing is ever good enough. Online discourse is worthless because people are always focused on the weird parts of a game or it's release.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Its such a weird thing to watch from a PC gamer perspective. The game won't release on PC for another year or longer after consoles. I'm really not feeling like I'm missing out or anything, if anything it's like I'm standing back and watching a potential train wreck from afar.

Rockstar has been hyping this game up like it's the next coming of Christ and there's just no way it lives up to that much hype. People complaining about the lack of physical media, or the confusion surrounding paid DLC. I'll just sit back and watch what happens. If it releases flawlessly with zero issues, then I'll look forward to the PC release. If it crashes and burns, well they have a year to fix it and to convince me it's worth it.

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[–] Joelk111@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (20 children)

I don't think this is an overreaction. As a PC gamer, this completely ruins my plans for playing the game. I was planning to buy a used console and the physical edition of the game, so I could resell both when the game came out on PC. This is another entry into "you will own nothing and be happy."

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[–] CumbrianCucumber@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

I've said it before, but I really don't get the GTA VI hype. The last Grand Theft Auto game being released over a decade ago isn't any guarantee that the next one will be amazing - Duke Nukem, Metroid, Overwatch and Star Fox are examples of that. Also, anyone who's been paying attention to the direction Rockstar games has been going for the last 5+ years would be pretty worried about how this game will actually turn out. A lot of stuff that used to be earned with in-game currencies in GTA online are only buyable with real money now. Their employee track record is horrible... Hearing about Rockstar not producing discs for their game doesn't surprise me. Maybe GTA VI will "crash the industry" and all the things these YouTubers are saying, but it would be on status alone at the moment, not because we know this is going to be a great game.

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[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

Buying only a download code is essentially a gift card.

[–] JackFrostNCola@aussie.zone 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The decline:
1: Games come in physical cartridges/discs in boxes in a store, included will be a user manual and sometimes special booklets with world maps or posters. Special editions come in fancy or metal cases, special colour variants, figurines and other trinkets. Expansion packs are released that add between 80-150% the amount of content as the origional game.

2: Special editions start coming with lower quality physical items and less often. Expansion packs start getting replaced by DLC packs, which are usually good value for money and add meaningful content to the game.

3: Games start shipping with less content and less testing as DLC's become more about bug fixes and adding content origionally planned as main release content.

4: Special editions consist basically just of a couple unique character skins or weapons whith no real lasting perks. DLC starts becoming rediculously expensive and underwhelming as shitty value for money.
Loot boxes and similar mechanics start preying on gamers with the same underwhelming content.

5: Games can be bought physically, but you install on a console/PC and it gets locked to your account, no sharing the disc with friends.

6: Multiplayer is moved to almost exclusively online only with no couch co-op for the vast majority of games. Online multiplayer only accessible with platform exclusive access subscription.

7: Games are sold as digital download only.

8: Games are downloaded but only sold as a subscription access.

9: Games are subscription only, but the game runs on their server and you just get the display stream feed + all inputs go back to the server to control the game.

10: You dont play games, you watch AI models play against each other whilst wearing VR headset, you dont enjoy it much but at least with the VR headset on you cant see the destruction outside your bunker since the climate change food riots.
Hope is on the horizon, apparently an indie dev is releasing a new version of tetris you will be able to play by actually pressing buttons yourself, 2035 is starting to look better after all.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Even if the disk was in the box, it wouldnt matter.

It'd just be some basic files that an installer transfers over. You'd still have to download a bunch online and use the code in the box to activate it because theres no way they'd put the whole game on a disk.

So, while I applaud giving the finger to rockstars exploitative bullshit, this seems more performative than anything.

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

Ok, but you can still physically take that disk with those minimal files and trade them in for at least some credit or cash somewhere.

If it’s digital, you can’t do that at all. Hell, if you download or play the game and do not like it then it can’t even be returned for a refund on many systems. A physical disk gets you something. Something…

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