After vanishing from the service last year, GTA 5 has returned to Xbox Game Pass and, for the first time, the PC version is included too.
The wait for GTA 6 continues to be excruciating for fans, and the rest of the games industry. Although the game is slated to launch this autumn, publisher Take-Two is deliberately withholding new info for as long as it can.
Given how much hype there is surrounding GTA 6, and Rockstar Games having released a new enhanced edition of GTA 5 for PC, Microsoft has wisely brought GTA 5 back to Xbox Game Pass.
Considering the game’s tendency to vanish from the service though, you may not have all that long to try the game for yourself, before it disappears again.
When is GTA 5 coming to Xbox Game Pass?
As of today, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play GTA 5 at no additional cost. Plus, it comes packaged with the GTA Online multiplayer mode and is available across most Game Pass tiers, specifically:
- Xbox Game Pass Standard (console only, £10.99 a month)
- Xbox Game Pass PC (PC only, £9.99 a month)
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (console and PC, £14.99 a month)
Those on PC can also try out the enhanced edition if they want, but considering the bad reputation it’s received, you may want to stick with the original Legacy Edition, which comes packaged with the new one.
Although Microsoft doesn’t mention it, it’s reasonable to assume GTA 5 will eventually leave Game Pass. While Microsoft usually removes certain games from the service after a period of time, GTA 5 has a habit of not sticking around for long.
It was originally added to Game Pass in 2021, but only for consoles (so no PC version) and it quickly vanished after a mere four months. It resurfaced in 2023, about a year after the new Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 versions launched, but there was still no option to try the PC version and it only hung around for six months before vanishing again.
The current offer for Game Pass subscribers is certainly the best it’s been, but past experiences suggest that GTA 5 will be removed before 2025 wraps up. In fact, given the timing, it wouldn’t be shocking if it left right before GTA 6 launches.
Take-Two has already ruled out bringing GTA 6 to subscription services like Game Pass at launch and the company likely wouldn’t want its predecessor to be a ‘free’ alternative around the same time.
Microsoft’s website also lists what games are slated to arrive on Game Pass in the coming weeks. French role-player Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launches on April 24, will be added to Game Pass from day one, while 2022’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be added on May 1, but only for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
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