GTA 5 continues a frustrating cycle with latest Xbox Game Pass exit

We’ve realized that Grand Theft Auto 5 will go away the Xbox Game Pass catalog on April 15 alongside other games like Ashen, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroesand My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery. GTA 5’s elimination is essentially the most frustrating, not simply due to the sport’s pedigree, however due to how usually it and different titles from Rockstar Games come to and go away online game subscription companies.

GTA 5 you’ve got cycled on and off Xbox Game Pass a number of instances over the previous six years. There are Xbox Wire articles from 2020, 2021, 2023and 2025 proudly asserting that the sport is coming to the service, solely to depart after three to 6 months. GTA 5’s present stint of Xbox Game Pass availability is its longest, because it has been a part of the catalog since April 2025. The recreation is equally on-again, off-again with PS Plus Extra, as GTA 5 has come and gone from Sony’s subscription service at totally different instances in 2023, (*5*)and 2025.

Although it is not unusual for video games to return and go on every of the key gaming subscription companies, no single recreation has performed it as steadily as GTA 5. The frequency of its addition and elimination from the service speaks to only how malleable the catalogs of Xbox Game Pass and PS Extra are.

While Xbox and PlayStation have extra management over the supply of their respective first-party video games on their subscription companies, they cannot assure the identical consistency for third-party video games. In the case of a recreation as profitable as GTA 5Rockstar Games additionally has extra leverage. Microsoft and Sony need the sport to be on their companies greater than Rockstar Games wants GTA 5 on Game Pass or PS Plus Extra.

Ultimately, the inconsistency with which GTA 5 is on these subscription companies makes it robust to suggest the sport whereas it’s a part of these catalogs. You’re higher off shopping for GTA 5 outright if you wish to play it moderately than counting on its availability through subscription. The similar goes for different titles from Rockstar Games that come to Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus Extra, like Red Dead Redemption 2.