After a wave of speculation and internet rumors, publisher Take-Two Interactive has officially confirmed what many gamers have been waiting to hear: the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) will not be a digital-only title, but physical copies will be available on launch day alongside the digital edition.
At the center of recent speculation was a report from a European source who claimed that Take-Two and Rockstar Games could delay the physical release of GTA 6 to reduce the risk of early leaks of story and material before the official date. According to that source, the disc version could arrive a week to a few months after the digital release, or even as early as the first part of 2027.
However, on the company’s recent earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick made it clear that “that’s not the plan” and that there is no approach to delay or limit physical copies to a digital distribution window.
GTA 6 is scheduled for November 19, 2026, a date that Take-Two has repeatedly confirmed and around which an official marketing campaign is expected to begin soon. The game, according to the publisher’s announcements, will be available simultaneously on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, both in physical and digital form.
This confirmation is important for several reasons. Physical editions still hold significant value for collectors, stores, and gamers who prefer to own the classic medium, especially for one of the most expensive and longest-developed AAA games in history. Also, a physical copy often encourages early co-purchasing and additional promotion in stores around the world.
On the other hand, the industrial trend of increasing dominance of digital distribution continues to put pressure on traditional media, so the confirmation that GTA 6 will not leave out a physical edition is encouraging news for the retail sector and players who oppose the complete transition to digital distribution, reports Sportskeeda.