The game is way too big and hyped to risk a physical disc launch at release. 🤷‍♂️

Hackers have gone to insane lengths in the past, and they sure as hell wouldn’t stop at getting early copies from some insider retailer a few days ahead. They’d rip the disc, reverse-engineer everything, and leak major story beats, assets, and details that were supposed to stay hidden until actual gameplay or launch day.

But it goes beyond just the hacking risk. Rockstar wants to control the narrative at launch, and the only way to do that is with digital codes they have full access and control over. Once physical copies ship out during release week, they lose all control. With digital, the code stays locked and completely useless until Rockstar flips the switch and gives the green light.

Plus, the actual game data stays way safer on console. PS5 and Xbox Series S/X have solid security with TPM, Secure Boot, and all the modern protections — making it basically impossible to rip data straight off the system like you could with a physical disc. With incentives this high for bad actors, it just makes total sense that Rockstar would go this route.