GTA 6 Boss Responds To PlayStation Announcement, "Discs Don't Make Sense"

Published Aug 7, 2026, 9:20 AM EDT Sam Woods is TheGamer’s Senior Reporter. He’s been in games journalism since 2020 and has undertaken a variety of roles in that time. These have included roles such as SEO Editor, Managing Editor at DualShockers, and Global Head of Gaming, and he's also been seen on the BBC. He was promoted to the Senior Reporter position in 2025 following a series of high-quality reports and exclusives for TheGamer. Since 2020, Sam has written over 2,500 articles and specializes in telling the stories of the people behind the games. He’s interviewed the biggest game directors, some of the industry’s top talents, told the stories of how indie games came to be, and spoken to players about what really makes them tick. He’s also interviewed some of the world’s biggest musical artists to find out how the medium has inspired their work, and TV and Film actors about their roles in video game adaptations. He even hosted a PAX panel in 2021 and made a documentary in 2024 surrounding the creation of a Disney game. Alongside this, Sam focuses on breaking news. He got the scoop on Perfect Dark’s cancellation, got context around some AI drama, and revealed how Lady Dimitrescu’s actress would love to step back into the character’s giant shoes. These articles have been picked up by the biggest gaming sites, including IGN, GameSpot, and PC Gamer. He also loves to dive into the numbers behind the games. Sam’s journey in games journalism has taken him all over the world. He’s covered Gamescom in Germany, Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and Tokyo Game Show in Japan, each on more than one occasion. He’s been learning Japanese since 2024 with the intention of identifying and translating Japanese-language news and bringing it to English-language audiences first, something he’s done countless times. Sam’s first review was 2020’s Battletoads reboot, and he’s since reviewed games in The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokemon franchises. Sony has been in the firing line in recent weeks following its announcement that it would stop disc production for PlayStation consoles from 2028. The wheels are well and truly in motion, with new PS5 boxes bearing a warning to consumers of the incoming change, but they aren't happy. In the month since the decision, fans have protested by holding boycotts, starting petitions, and planning class-action lawsuits. Even some world governments are proposing new bills to protect consumers, and the infamous hacking group Anonymous had its say on the matter. Grand Theft Auto 6 creator Rockstar took some flak following the announcement that it would only be providing a code in a box for the game's retail edition, falling in line with PlayStation's decision, again, to the distaste of fans. Now, in his latest earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has revealed the reason for this decision, saying "discs don't make sense to consumers." Take-Two CEO Feels That "Discs Don't Make Sense To Consumers" Alongside its decision to price GTA 6 at $80, Rockstar confirmed that it wouldn't be printing the game on a disc. The decision wasn't popular with fans of GTA, physical game collectors, or video game preservationists. That didn't stop it from selling out on Amazon immediately, though. The decision would have clearly improved Rockstar's profit margins on the game, since it wouldn't have had to produce physical discs, and Zelnick stands by the move. During a Q&A on today's Take-Two Interactive investor call, Zelnick was asked about his view of Sony's decision to abandon physical software. "I'm not going to comment on Sony's own decision," he told those on the call. "But in terms of our decision, look, our business is well over 90% digitally distributed, as it is. It's already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it's a big game, you know, discs, and note I said discs, don't really make sense for the consumer. That doesn't mean that we won't have physical additions now and then. "In most instances, you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you're already connected, like, who cares if you download digitally, it's all the same, and it's much more convenient. So that's where the world is going, in our opinion. I think Sony understands that. We certainly understand that. That doesn't mean that we won't have physical additions now and then. I'm sure we will in the same way that there's still vinyl in the recorded music business. But in other instances, it just won't make sense." These words are likely to be music to the ears of Take-Two's investors, who want the company to maximize profits. For consumers and preservationists, however, it's another damning blow to the future of physical media. Systems Released November 19, 2026 ESRB Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+ Developer(s) Rockstar Games Publisher(s) Rockstar Games Engine Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) Genre(s) Action, Adventure