Rockstar upset some fans by not including a physical disc with its latest game. Now, some pre-order customers are finding that their sealed cases don’t even include a digital code. With the GTA 6 release date coming up, these customers are asking Rockstar and retailers to help fix the problem.
After fans picked up their games, more people started reporting missing codes in their boxes. The problem isn’t everywhere, but it’s happening to both Xbox and PlayStation owners. On social media, one GTA 6 PS5 buyer showed that the inside of their case just had a gray strip where the code should be. Best Buy wouldn’t give them a refund, which made things even more frustrating.
Gamers who pre-ordered the GTA 6 physical version straight from Rockstar are having the same problem. For example, Reddit user InParties got the double-sided poster bonus, but there was no PlayStation Store code inside. When they asked Rockstar for help, the company closed two of their support tickets.
Rockstar’s website tells customers who pre-ordered from other stores to reach out to those retailers. Still, since the cases are sealed, it’s hard to blame Best Buy, Walmart, or GameStop for the problem. It’s more likely that something went wrong during manufacturing before the games were shipped to stores.
People are also criticizing Rockstar again for using the code-in-box format. Fans who prefer physical discs were already unhappy when the company stopped using Blu-ray. Even if the game is huge and needs a download, having a disc would let people buy and sell the game later. Digital games aren’t very convenient if there’s no way to redeem your purchase.
To make things worse, shippers or shoppers might steal GTA 6 PS5 and Xbox codes. Some reports say that a strong flashlight can reveal the code through the packaging without opening it. Still, this problem seems to be limited, since some European boxes don’t have the extra protective layer.
