By Sagar V. Mankar 
GTA 5 is set to depart Xbox Game Pass on January 5th, 2024 according to a recent tweet from Game Pass Tracker.
The iconic open-world game was added to Microsoft’s subscription service back in July 2023, meaning it had a 6-month stint available for Game Pass members.
Is This the First Time GTA 5 Has Left Game Pass?
Far from it!
GTA 5 seems to have an on-again, off-again relationship with Xbox Game Pass.
It was first added in early 2020, only to be removed that May after about 6 months.
It returned in April 2021 and then left in August of the same year.
Now GTA 5 is set for its third Game Pass departure since 2020, each time sticking around for around 6 months.
Why Does GTA 5 Keep Leaving Game Pass?
There’s no way to know for sure why GTA 5 has had this start-stop relationship with Game Pass.
Some fans theorize Rockstar uses it as a way to bolster sales, offering it as a free demo for a few months at a time.
Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Microsoft wants to remove such a popular game from its service.
It stands to reason that these temporary additions line up with Rockstar’s promotional plans instead.
With the recent massive hype around the GTA 6 reveal trailer, it makes sense that Rockstar would anticipate renewed interest in GTA 5.
By taking the game off Game Pass in January, they can capture more paid purchases from both new and returning players eager to replay the classic open-world mayhem.
With $15 on Steam, GTA 5 offers hundreds of hours of content for players hungry for more Grand Theft Auto before GTA 6 releases.
Is Rockstar removing the open-world game to capture sales hype before 2024’s long-awaited GTA 6 release?
When Will We Get to Play GTA 6?
Unfortunately, we’ve got a long wait ahead of us still.
GTA 6 likely won’t be launching until late 2025 at the absolute earliest, and a delay to 2026 wouldn’t be surprising.
Man, I’m bummed!
After that awesome trailer, I was so hyped to finally get my hands on the next entry in the legendary franchise.
Are you excited or not?
What Do you think about GTA 5 departing Xbox Game Pass on 1/5 after 6 months?
Write down in Comment.