GTA 6 PS5 codes region-locked, Japan expires 170 days

Rockstar Games has confirmed new regional restrictions for the physical PlayStation 5 version of Grand Theft Auto 6, including an expiration date for download codes sold in Japan, as the highly anticipated title moves forward with its controversial digital-only retail release. The company detailed the policies in a recently updated support article.

The standard and ultimate editions of Grand Theft Auto 6 will not include a game disc when they launch worldwide on November 19, 2026. Instead, physical retail boxes will contain a voucher code to download the full game. For the PS5 version, these codes are subject to region locks, meaning a code purchased in one country can only be redeemed on a PlayStation Network account registered in that same country or a corresponding region. This restriction does not apply to codes for the Xbox Series X|S version, which are not region-locked and can be redeemed globally.

A specific policy affects Japanese consumers. Product codes included with PS5 copies sold in Japan will expire 170 days after the game's launch date. Rockstar attributed this rule to local regulatory restrictions, which require digital goods to have clear expiration dates....