"Physical" copies of GTA 6 started shipping out to early buyers this week, including several members of GamesRadar+ staff. As players start to worry that their codes may be stolen with a bizarre flashlight trick, we had to see if we could steal our own – and honestly, I wouldn't be too worried about the possibility.
Rockstar's approach to its code-in-box release of GTA 6 is slightly different from most publishers. Rather than including the game code printed on a slip of paper in the case, the code is printed inside the back cover art itself. Social media is starting to be washed over with reports that if you shine a very bright flashlight just right into the edge of a GTA 6 case, you can make out the code without even breaking the seal on the game.
I tried the trick with my own US copy of the PS5 physical edition, and it did not work. There's a strip of camouflage patterning underneath the code that renders it unreadable from the opposite side no matter how bright a light you shine at it. My colleague Catherine tried the trick with her UK PS5 copy, and same deal – the code is unreadable through that camo pattern.
There is a catch here: not every code-in-box copy of GTA 6 has the camo strip. I've combed through unboxing videos of the game, and while I can't find any examples of US copies without the protective camouflage, some copies with a PEGI rating only have a plain black strip in the background. This, it seems, is the one that could be vulnerable to the apparent flashlight trick.
However, I haven't managed to track down anybody reporting that they've fallen victim to a stolen code. Most retailers keep their games behind locked glass cases, so a prospective code thief would probably have to buy the game, hope that it's a black background version, get an unusually powerful flashlight, shine it in, and then convince the retailer to take the game back for a refund in order for anyone to fall afoul of the potential scam.
Is that a level of trouble anyone's willing to go to in order to play GTA 6 for free? Well, yeah, I guess so. But it's also not an issue unique to GTA's code-in-box release – I've had a few occasions where I've purchased a new, "sealed" copy of a traditional physical game only to find that someone had carefully snuck the disc out of the package and returned it to the retailer where I eventually bought it.
And, well, if you're that worried, you can just buy the game digitally. Yeah, I know, I'm the exact kind of sicko who bought the physical version to have a box on my shelf and a poster on my wall, but it's not as if there's a real difference between getting the box and just doing a digital GTA 6 pre-order. Now, if there was actually a map in the box, that might be a different story.
If you're looking for optimal sound quality, check out our guide to the best headsets for GTA 6.
1. Best overall: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
2. Best value: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
2. Best budget PS5: Turtle Beach Atlas 200
3. Best budget Xbox: Turtle Beach Stealth 500
See all the best headsets for GTA 6
