Multiple retailers drop GTA 6 after physical version is confirmed to be a code in a box

GTA 6 is effectively a digital-only release. Physical boxes will be sold at retail in November, but they will contain only a code to be redeemed for a digital copy of the game, and some boutique shops that focus on physical games have decided to drop GTA 6 pre-orders.

One such store is VGP, a Canadian retailer known in the collecting scene for restocks of rare physical titles and for tracking details like specific cart revisions of Nintendo-published Switch games. VGP says it has a standing policy of not carrying "code in a box" releases and will not change it even for a juggernaut like GTA 6.

"For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership," the retailer wrote on Bluesky. "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." US-based Loot Box Gaming made a similar decision.

Canada

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