CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski says Rockstar’s choice to ship Grand Theft Auto 6 without a disc puts studios that still back physical releases in a rough spot, especially with Sony planning to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games in 2028.
In a post on X, Tyminski said GTA 6 shipping without a disc feels unfair to studios still backing physical and argued that the shift is moving faster because of Sony’s hardware plans. That lines up with Sony’s own January 2028 disc cutoff, which we broke down in Sony’s 2028 disc plan.
At $69.99, retail margin takes 25-35%, distributors another 10-20%, and physical production ~$10. That leaves studios with just over $26 per unit — compared to ~$49 on digital at highest margin.
It only gets worse as prices drop. Large publishers sit on the better side of the… https://t.co/Tq4vqeNZd2
— Marek Tyminski (@tyminski_marek) July 5, 2026
Tyminski also made it clear that CI Games is still planning a disc release for Lords of the Fallen 2. Even so, he said the business side is getting harder to defend when boxed sales are already under 20% for many games and physical copies bring in less money per unit.
He laid out the math behind that view. At a $69.99 retail price, he said store margins can take 25% to 35%, distributors another 10% to 20%, and physical production about $10. That leaves studios with a little over $26 per disc, while a digital sale can bring in roughly $49 at the highest margin.
Tyminski added that retailers are caught in the same squeeze because their incentive changes once software is no longer part of the picture. He said disc releases may stop being a practical option from 2028, which would leave physical-first studios with fewer good choices than they have now.
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Grand Theft Auto VI
Developed by Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
- Genre: Shooter, Racing, Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2026-11-19
- Publisher: Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive
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Age Rating:
ESRB RP
