Grand Theft Auto 6 may not have a physical version on day one to avoid leaks, report claims

Take-Two and Rockstar may hold back the release of the physical version of Grand Theft Auto 6 to avoid spoilers.

That’s according to Polish site PPE.pl, whose insider Graczdari previously correctly leaked information on the release date of Oblivion: Remastered physical copies, the Switch 2 port of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and the PS5 port of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

According to Graczdari – who PPE.pl says handles physical game sales in Europe – Take-Two still has no plans for a physical edition of the game, at least at release.

While it appears inevitable that the game will get a physical release, the report claims that it may appear on consoles digitally first, with a physical version following later. This could only be a few weeks after release, or as far back as 2027.

“We’re hearing more and more that the physical version won’t be released simultaneously with the digital version to prevent leaks,” their source claims.

“We’re getting conflicting reports – some say the physical version will arrive three to four weeks after the digital release, while others say it won’t happen until early 2027. More information will be available in mid-February.”

Grand Theft Auto 6 has already been subject to numerous leaks in recent years. In September 2022, one of the games industry’s most high-profile data leaks saw over an hour of GTA 6 development footage published online , giving players their first look at the sequel to one of the best-selling games of all time.

Then, in December 2023, the game’s first trailer was leaked a day early by an anonymous X user, albeit a low-res and heavily watermarked version.

Before that, back in 2021, over an hour of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition footage leaked online ahead of the game’s release.

With this in mind, Rockstar and Take-Two will be keen to avoid further leaks and spoilers for Grand Theft Auto 6 before the game’s officially out.

Given that there have been numerous instances of players acquiring physical copies of games early – often through retailers who receive shipments before release – and streaming them online, this could justify the claim that Take-Two may be delaying the physical release of GTA 6 to avoid spoilers.

Grand Theft Auto 6’s current release date is November 19, 2026, following two high-profile delays. The game was originally planned to release in Fall 2025, but this was then pushed back to May 26, 2026, before Rockstar then announced the new November date.