GTA 6 box code missing or already used? What PlayStation and Rockstar tell you to do

Some people who bought GTA 6 in a box say there was no download code inside, or that the code had already been used, Kotaku and Polygon report. If it happens to you, PlayStation and Rockstar Support both send you back to the shop where you bought it.

What buyers report

The box has no disc. The code is printed on the inside of the cover. Polygon says some buyers found only a grey strip where the code should be, on both PS5 and Xbox copies. Kotaku says other buyers found their code had already been claimed. Kotaku has asked Rockstar for comment.

Citing player posts, Polygon says some shops gave refunds and others refused. It adds that the problem does not seem widespread.

What to do

PlayStation’s support page for the boxed game gives these steps:

• No code, or a damaged one: contact the retailer.
• “Code has already been used”: open Order History in PlayStation Store and check if your GTA 6 pre-order went through. Also check you did not use it on another account. Still stuck? Contact the retailer.
• “The code is incorrect or is no longer valid”: check that GTA 6 codes are live in your country or region.
• Refund: contact the retailer.

Rockstar Support says the same: questions about buying, refunds and delivery go to the shop you bought from. If you bought the box on the Rockstar Store, Rockstar says to contact Xsolla support.

Check your region

On PS5, a boxed code only works on an account from the group of countries it was sold for, Rockstar Support says. A UK code needs a UK account, for example, and a code sold for Saudi Arabia and the UAE needs an account from one of those two countries. Xbox codes are not region-locked. Rockstar’s advice is to buy from a shop in the same country as your account.

The flashlight trick

Posts online claim that a bright flashlight shone into a sealed box shows the code. GamesRadar+ tried it on a US and a UK PS5 copy and could not read either code, because a camouflage pattern sits behind it. It says some PEGI-rated copies only have a plain black strip, which could be easier to read through. But it found no one who said a code had been stolen this way. Kotaku’s editor-in-chief also tried the trick, with no luck.

Before November 19

PlayStation says you can redeem the code as soon as you have the box, then pre-load the game. It unlocks on November 19. Our FAQ explains what the box holds, and our pre-load guide shows how much space you need.