Players who buy a boxed game usually expect a disc inside. That is why the latest GTA 6 debate has caught the attention of many fans. Rockstar’s upcoming release is being sold in physical boxes, but those copies are expected to include a download code instead of a disc. CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski has now called that move unfair to studios that are still spending the money to support real physical releases.
It is about what happens to smaller studios when the biggest game in the world helps push the market away from discs. Lords of the Fallen 2 is still planned to launch on disc, but Tyminski says that choice is getting harder to defend from a business side.
CI Games is not dropping physical support for Lords of the Fallen 2 yet. That makes Tyminski’s criticism more direct, because his studio is still taking on the cost that larger publishers are starting to avoid.
A physical disc release needs more planning than a digital release. Studios have to deal with manufacturing, shipping, retail margins, distribution costs, and earlier production deadlines.
For players, buying a physical disc is simple, but for a game studio, deciding to release one is a much bigger business decision.
GTA 6 is one of the biggest game releases in years. It is the kind of game that can change what players and retailers expect from the whole market.
If a game that big can sell boxed copies without discs, other publishers may feel less pressure to keep printing them. That is why Tyminski sees it as unfair to teams still backing physical media.
The worry is not that one game is making a different choice. The concern is that if the biggest game of this generation does it, other games may start following the same approach.
Tyminski also pointed to the money problem behind physical games. He said a $69.99 physical sale can leave a studio with just over $26 after retail margins, distributor cuts, and production costs. A digital sale can bring in much more at the highest margin.
That gap explains why more publishers are looking at digital-only releases. It is cheaper, faster, and cleaner from the business side.
The problem is that players lose some of what made physical copies useful. A real disc can be collected, traded, resold, lent to a friend, or kept on a shelf without depending fully on a download code.
It is easy to understand why players are unhappy with code-in-box releases. A box without a disc can feel like the worst of both worlds. Players get the packaging, but not the real physical copy they expected.
That is more important as games get more expensive. If someone pays for a boxed version, they often want something they can actually own, not only a code tied to an account.
This is why the GTA 6 decision has turned into a bigger argument. It is not only about one Rockstar game. It is about whether physical games still mean anything if the disc disappears.
Lords of the Fallen 2 launching on disc will be good news for players who still prefer physical games, but Tyminski’s comments show how thin that support is becoming.
Studios may like the goodwill that comes with physical editions, but goodwill does not pay for manufacturing, shipping, and smaller margins. If sales keep moving toward digital, more teams may decide the disc is not worth the cost.
GTA 6 may not be the first game to mix physical and digital releases, but it is big enough to make everyone notice. For players who still want real discs, Lords of the Fallen 2 may end up feeling less like the normal option and more like one of the last holdouts.
