A flashlight and a few minutes at a store shelf might be all it takes to steal someone's copy of GTA 6. That is the claim from players who bought the "physical" edition in PEGI regions: they say the download code shows through the sealed case. Rockstar has not commented on the reports.
The boxed version of GTA 6 has no disc, only a download code, and it started selling at retailers this week. As GameSpot reports, ResetEra users noticed that European copies have the code printed directly on the inside of the cover rather than on a separate card or insert. Shine a flashlight on the closed case from the outside, and the code is supposedly visible in reverse.
The worry is simple: someone could copy the code in the store and redeem the game before the buyer does. According to PlayFront, codes have been redeemable since preloading opened on November 12, so a thief would not even have to wait for the November 19 launch.
US boxes hide the code better, and the European trick is far from proven
GameSpot says the trick does not seem to work on North American copies, where the code is intentionally obscured. PlayFront adds that the US PS5 version has a camouflage pattern over the code field, while the European copies it examined only have a black bar with the code on it.
Hard evidence is thin. PlayFront's author tested their own box: the strip was visible under light, but the code itself could not be made out. Dexerto cites French outlet Journal du Geek, which found the method did not work consistently, and notes that some suspect the viral photo was edited to make the code look clearer. There are no confirmed cases of stolen codes so far.
Xbox owners are discussing a different method: shaking the box supposedly shifts the paper enough to expose some characters. The Ultimate Edition, PlayFront notes, puts its code on a separate card with a scratch-off panel, so it appears safe. Given what the standard edition costs (see our GTA 6 price page), losing it to a packaging flaw would sting.
It is not yet known whether more stores will put these boxes in security cases, as MediaMarkt often already does, or whether Rockstar will change the printing for new batches if the complaints hold up.
