Rockstar has confirmed that "physical" boxed copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 sold in Japan will contain only a digital download code, and that code will expire 170 days after the game's launch on 19 November 2026. The move stems from Japan's Payment Services Act, a consumer-protection law that requires companies selling prepaid digital codes to set aside significant funds in case they go out of business, unless the product expires within six months, which explains the 170-day cut-off. The decision has drawn criticism online, with players questioning how retailers will manage stock to avoid selling already-expired codes.

The news follows Rockstar's earlier confirmation that GTA 6 "physical" editions worldwide would ship without a disc, offering only a box and download code instead. It also arrives shortly after Sony announced it will stop printing PlayStation game discs from January 2028, fuelling wider consumer anger over the industry's shift towards all-digital ownership, including calls for a PlayStation service boycott from 23 to 30 August.