GTA 6 Physical Copies in Japan Come With a 170-Day Expiry Warning

Physical copies of Grand Theft Auto VI sold in Japan aren't quite what the name implies — and buyers need to move quickly once they get their hands on one. According to IGN, the boxed editions contain download codes rather than traditional game media, and those codes carry a hard expiry date: 170 days from the game's launch.

That's a tighter window than many players might expect, especially for a title as anticipated as GTA 6. Anyone who picks up a physical box and then sets it aside — as a collector's item, a gift to open later, or simply because life gets in the way — could find themselves locked out before they ever redeem it.

The situation highlights a growing tension in the games industry between the idea of "physical" ownership and the reality of code-in-a-box distribution. For Japanese consumers who specifically sought out a retail copy to avoid a purely digital purchase, discovering an expiry date attached to their redemption code is likely to sting.

Rockstar and Take-Two have yet to publicly address the policy or clarify whether similar restrictions will apply in other regions. For now, the 170-day deadline appears specific to the Japanese market based on what IGN has reported.

With GTA 6's release date still in view, anyone planning to buy a physical copy in Japan — whether for themselves or as a gift — should factor that countdown into their plans the moment they leave the store.