Japan has strict rules to protect customers, and the gaming industry is no exception. These laws are creating additional challenges for players in Japan, making it more complicated to buy Grand Theft Auto 6.
Rockstar Games has already confirmed that the physical edition of GTA 6 won’t include a disc, instead, buyers will get a game box which will have a digital download code. This decision has already upset many fans, and this additional issue for players in Japan could make buying GTA 6 even more frustrating.
According to Rockstar’s official support page, PlayStation product codes included with Japanese copies of GTA 6 will expire 170 days after their issuance date, which Rockstar identifies as the November 19, 2026 launch date. This is because of Japan’s Payment Services Act, a law that protects customers who buy prepaid digital products. These safeguards are intended to protect holders of qualifying prepaid payment instruments if an issuer fails or becomes unable to meet its obligations.
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Under this law, companies that sell prepaid digital codes usually have to keep a large amount of money as a safety guarantee with the Japanese government, so if something goes wrong, customers can get their money back. However, there is an exception – if the digital code expires within six months, the company doesn’t have to keep those reserve funds. Because certain prepaid payment instruments usable for only a limited period may be excluded from the relevant requirements, the 170-day expiry appears designed to fall within that exemption. However, Rockstar has not confirmed why it selected 170 days.
Initially, there was confusion over whether the 170-day expiry applied only to bonus DLC codes or to the main GTA 6 game code. However, it has now been confirmed that it is the base game download code that will expire after 170 days.
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This update was shared by Genki, who keeps a close track on Japan’s gaming industry. He mentioned that this could create problems for retailers, as stores will have to be careful that they don’t sell copies with download codes that are close to expiring.
A user on X suggested that stores may have to replace older stock with new copies to avoid selling codes that are about to expire. However, Genki believes Rockstar may simply stop sending new physical copies once the first batch is sold out instead of regularly restocking stores.
This issue comes at a time when many gamers are already worried about digital game ownership. It has to be recalled that Sony recently announced that it will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028, which received severe backlash and sparked a major debate about owning digital games. Rockstar’s decision to sell physical copies of GTA 6 without a disc has only added to that discussion.
Now, the news of GTA 6 download codes in Japan expiring after 170 days has further added to players’ concerns. Many gamers believe that buying a game should mean owning it for a long time, but an expiring download code has raised questions about digital ownership.
If you are planning to buy GTA 6, make sure to check the different editions and pre-order bonuses.
