Take-Two's Zelnick Says Physical Discs Don't Make Sense Anymore

Zelnick Weighs In on the Disc Debate

Strauss Zelnick, the chief executive of Take-Two Interactive and the boss overseeing GTA 6, has made his position on physical media pretty clear: discs just don’t make sense anymore. That’s according to the latest episode of VGC: The Video Games Podcast, published August 14, which covered the comment alongside a broader discussion of GTA 6 pre-orders.

Zelnick’s view lands at a charged moment for the industry. Physical game retail has been shrinking for years, consoles without disc drives have become a mainstream option, and the question of what happens to your library when a digital storefront goes dark keeps nagging at consumers and critics alike. For the boss of one of the biggest publishers on the planet to state plainly that discs don’t make sense in 2026 is the kind of thing that tends to get people talking.

To be fair, it is 2026. Broadband is widespread, digital storefronts are deeply entrenched, and GTA 6 itself is shaping up to be one of the biggest software launches in history regardless of format. Take-Two has previously reiterated that it predicts $8 billion in net bookings this fiscal year largely on the strength of that title, as reported by VGC. When the numbers are that large, the percentage coming from disc sales probably looks pretty thin on a spreadsheet.

The Flip Side of That Argument

Still, not everyone is convinced the disc era should be declared over so cheerfully. The VGC crew noted just last week in a separate episode that the Xbox power outage served as perhaps the best argument for physical games in recent memory. When a digital-only ecosystem goes down, the people who still have a disc in a box have something to play. That’s a pretty fundamental point that pure download advocates tend to gloss over.

There’s also the question of ownership, preservation, and the secondary market. Collectors, parents buying gifts, and anyone without a reliable internet connection all have reasons to want a disc. Independent game retailers have been fighting for survival as the download shift accelerates, and voices like Zelnick’s don’t exactly help their case.

None of that is to say Zelnick is wrong about where the market is heading. He’s probably not. But there’s a difference between describing a trend and endorsing the fastest possible sprint toward it.

Best Special Edition Consoles Ever Made

The GTA 6 discussion wasn’t the only thing on the VGC podcast’s agenda this week. Hosts Jordan Middler, Chris Scullion, Andy Robinson, and broadcaster Pete Donaldson also put their heads together on a question that is genuinely fun to argue about: what’s the best special edition console ever?

It’s a topic with a lot of viable answers. The history of gaming hardware is littered with gorgeous limited runs, tie-in bundles, and regional exclusives that now command serious secondary market prices. Whether your personal pick involves a translucent shell, a hand-painted finish, or a bundle that came with the right game at the right time, there’s usually a story attached to it.

The full episode is available now on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other platforms, with additional content for Patreon supporters at Patreon.com/VideoGamesChronicle.

GTA 6 Context Keeps Building

Rockstar locked in a November release date for GTA 6 about a month ago, according to VGC, and the pre-order conversation is clearly heating up. Zelnick has also been vocal recently about Take-Two’s independence, stating the company has no interest in being acquired by Netflix or any other buyer, as VGC reported earlier this week.

The disc comment fits into a pattern of Zelnick speaking candidly about where he sees the industry going. Whether or not you agree with him, the argument is at least worth having out loud rather than just letting the industry drift toward digital-only by default. Consumers probably deserve a say in that conversation too.