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GTA 5 is one of Rockstar Games' most popular and profitable titles to date. The game has been free-to-play for players who own the Xbox Game Pass, but that won't be the case anymore as it will soon be leaving the catalog. While this is certainly disheartening, most players are unsurprised by this event. Grand Theft Auto 5 has been on and off the Xbox Game Pass catalog for quite some time now.
Many Game Pass owners received a notification from Xbox informing them to play GTA 5 while it lasts or to purchase it for lifetime access. According to predictions, the game will most likely be removed from the free-to-play list on December 31, 2023. This decision has come at a time when Rockstar Games recently released the Chop Shop and the winter DLC for the game.
GTA 5 will be leaving Xbox Game Pass once again
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As mentioned before, Microsoft and Rockstar Games have added and removed GTA 5 from the free-to-play catalog quite a few times. Most of the time, it was to either promote the title or bring attention to a new release. The game was available for free to Game Pass subscribers when the developers released it for the current-gen consoles.
Another time, this happened when the studio was about to release the GTA trilogy Definitive Edition. Now, there is another reason why Microsoft often removes the game from the free catalog.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is quite expensive to license, and the company does not want to pay that much money to make it a permanent title in the category. So, they add and remove the game occasionally to keep the fans interested while also not bearing too much cost.
Grand Theft Auto 5 arrived on Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S in July 2023. So, it has been on the shelf for around five months. The game is also available for purchase at a discounted price of $19.99.
This is a good decision that will allow fans to own the game without spending too much money on a decade-old title. While the single-player campaign is great, most people enjoy its online multiplayer mode more as it receives constant updates.
Hopefully, Microsoft Games will once again add the title to the free-to-play list soon. Fans still have a couple of days to enjoy the ongoing events and also debate about the alleged GTA 6 voice actor in the forums.
