When Doom: The Dark Ages touched down on PS5 in May 2025, veteran players braced for brutal demon hunts—not for a minuscule 85MB disc that barely outscored a keychain. On Xbox Series X|S, it arrives as a modest 342MB stub and still demands over 80GB of additional downloads before launch. This growing trend of “stub discs,” essentially glorified download tokens, has ignited frustration across collector and preservation circles alike.
Stub discs aren’t confined to id Software’s fortress. Earlier this year, Indiana Jones shipped with a mere 120MB on disc, funnelling players into a 55GB day-one patch. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 upped the ante with a 200MB disc and a 110GB update before you can lock and load. NPD Group analyst Laura Reynolds reports a 35% surge in stub-disc releases in 2024, even as physical game revenue fell by roughly 20%. While publishers claim cost savings and streamlined distribution, many gamers feel shortchanged.
| Title | Platform | Disc Size | Required Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doom: The Dark Ages | PS5 | 85MB | 80.2GB |
| Doom: The Dark Ages | Xbox Series X|S | 342MB | 80.5GB |
| Indiana Jones | PS5 | 120MB | 55GB |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | Xbox Series X|S | 200MB | 110GB |
Collectors have been vocal. Sarah Thompson, curator at RetroVault Collectibles, lambasts stub discs as “a betrayal of physical-media enthusiasts.” Sealed copies once guaranteed out-of-the-box play and a tangible artifact—now they often deliver nothing more than a download prompt. “We saw a 15% drop in sealed-edition sales in Q1 2025,” Thompson notes. For purists who prize shelves lined with genuine discs, the industry’s pivot feels like pulling the rug out from under them.
James Parker of the Video Game History Foundation warns of a looming archival crisis. “Stub-disc titles hinge on live servers and mandatory updates. When those servers vanish, the games vanish,” he says. Parker’s team has catalogued over 150 post-2018 releases requiring online verification—making long-term preservation or a museum exhibit nearly impossible without dumping 80+GB assets. The foundation’s “Save the Stub” campaign is rallying donations to archive these digital footprints before they disappear.
From a publisher’s standpoint, stub discs cut manufacturing costs by an estimated $1.50–$2.00 per unit and ensure every customer downloads the latest patches. “It’s about streamlining our distribution chain,” explains Bethesda’s lead producer Mark Liu. Yet critics argue that day-one updates seldom squash all bugs and sometimes introduce new ones.
According to IDC, digital downloads now account for over 55% of total game sales, up from 48% in 2023. This shift boosts digital revenue but undermines brick-and-mortar retailers and the collector’s market. Industry insiders predict stub discs will become the default even for mid-tier AAA releases by 2026 unless publishers offer genuine discs alongside download keys. NPD Group’s Reynolds warns that if consumer discontent continues, we may see a buyer’s revolt—pushing publishers to rethink the stub-disc strategy or risk alienating a core audience.
The rise of stub discs blurs the line between physical and digital ownership, stripping buyers of the instant, offline experience they once paid a premium for. If enough consumers push back—through informed reviews, social-media campaigns and, most critically, their wallets—publishers may be forced to offer true physical editions once more. Until then, genuine game ownership remains under siege.
Source: Publisher statements; NPD Group; RetroVault Collectibles; Video Game History Foundation; IDC.