Physical copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 may come with region-locked redemption codes for PlayStation 5, according to notices appearing on several major online retailers. While digital pre-orders are expected to be universally accessible, a growing number of UK-based stores, including Amazon, GAME, ShopTo, and Smyths, are displaying disclaimers stating that the code included within the game's box can only be redeemed by users with a PlayStation account registered in the United Kingdom.
This limitation mirrors warnings also seen on Smyths' Republic of Ireland website, which specifies that the code is restricted to accounts registered within Ireland. Such regional restrictions are unusual for digital game codes sold within the European Economic Area, where EU law prohibits geo-blocking across member states. This has previously led to significant fines for companies like Valve for similar practices on Steam.
Adding to the confusion, listings from other European retailers, such as Alternate and Saturn in Germany, and GAME Spain, present different disclaimers. Some of these indicate the code is redeemable across Europe and Switzerland, while others provide a broader list of countries within the EMEA PlayStation region. Retailers in Germany like MediaMarkt and Micromania in France do not feature these restrictive warnings on their Grand Theft Auto 6 listings.
Initially, similar disclaimers were reportedly visible for the Xbox Series X/S version of the game. However, Xbox codes have historically been region-free, and many of these warnings have since been removed from Xbox listings, though some remain. The disparity in information across different retailers suggests potential caution from individual stores to prevent cross-country orders, a possible misinterpretation of distribution guidelines from Rockstar, or a simple relay of information from the publisher's sales department without further scrutiny. Representatives from some of the affected UK retailers have been contacted for clarification on this matter.