Rockstar finally explained the region-lock mess for GTA 6 pre-order codes

Rockstar clarifies which GTA 6 pre-order download codes are going to be region-locked, and how that is going to affect the game in your country

Remember when pre-orders went live last month and every retailer had a different answer about whether the code in the box would work in your country? It was a mess. Some said region-free, some said locked, some just shrugged. Now Rockstar's actually come out and clarified things.

For the PS5 physical edition, it's a code-in-box situation, no disc. And those codes are region-locked to the country where you bought them. So if you imported a copy from the US hoping to play on your European account, you're out of luck. The code won't redeem unless your PSN account matches the region of purchase.

Japan's got an extra wrinkle: the pre-order codes there come with an expiry date. So not only are they locked, but you've got a limited window to redeem them. No word yet on whether other regions will get similar restrictions, but it's not a great look for anyone who likes to keep a sealed copy on the shelf.

I get why they're doing it, regional pricing and all that, but it still stings for collectors and people who move between countries. At least now we know what we're dealing with before dropping $80 on a pre-order.

Anyone else rethinking where they're buying from after this?

Source: Eurogamer · Curated content.