Grand Theft Auto VI is set to be one of the most highly-anticipated games, with the last release in the series being over thirteen years ago with Grand Theft Auto V. The only other game I can think of that comes close to this level of anticipation and wait from its fanbase would be the notorious (but not confirmed to actively be in development) Half-Life 3, with the last release in the series being Half-Life: Alyx, although the last to feature the protagonist Gordon Freeman was as far back as 2007. Even then the level of excitement surrounding GTA VI is unprecedented with most other games, spawning numerous memes such as “We got [x] before GTA VI”. 

Grand Theft Auto as a franchise has practically become a household name all across the world, including countries such as Japan. However, Japanese players will have to be timely with activating the download codes that come with the “physical” copies of Grand Theft Auto VI, as according to a recent FAQ on the Rockstar Games support page, Japanese players will only have 170 days to use the code due to “regional regulations”. So if you live in Japan and buy GTA VI at launch, you will only have until May 8, 2027 to redeem your game. So far this type of regulation does not appear to be in effect with any other countries, and it is not explained on the FAQ as to what these exact regulations are that are creating this 170-day window. However an article from TweakTown mentions, “the timing seems to line up with Japanese regulations around prepaid payment instruments, which apparently apply lighter oversight to anything valid for under six months”. 

It’s a very unfortunate time for people who are fond of physical releases and having actual copies of their games. Sony has made clear they intend to go fully digital, which has been met with much pushback from fans. As companies such as Ubisoft have made it clear to players that “You don’t own your games”, where agreeing to terms of service is basically agreeing to just purchase a license that can be revoked at any time, players have become increasingly supportive of game preservation and movements such as “Stop Killing Games”. Hopefully they can get a win, as the future of video game preservation currently looks dire.