Rockstar Games’ blockbuster Grand Theft Auto V (and its massively popular multiplayer component, GTA Online) is once again preparing to exit Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service. According to the latest update from RockstarINTEL, the game will be removed on April 15, 2026 — exactly one year after it returned to the service.
This marks the end of GTA V’s longest-ever stay on Game Pass. The title first re-entered the catalog on April 15, 2025, timed perfectly with the launch of the GTA V Enhanced edition on PC. For the past 12 months, subscribers on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Game Pass, and via cloud streaming have been able to play the full game and GTA Online at no extra cost. That’s double the typical six-month window Rockstar has allowed the game on subscription services in the past.
Why It’s Leaving Now
Microsoft has not issued an official blog post, but the departure is clearly listed in the Xbox App’s “Leaving Soon” section. Multiple outlets, including IGN, Pure Xbox, and TrueAchievements, have confirmed the April 15 removal date alongside four other titles: Ashen, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery, and Terra Invicta.
The timing is notable. With Grand Theft Auto VI still slated for a Fall 2026 release (roughly seven months away), Rockstar appears to be winding down promotional access to the previous generation’s flagship title. This isn’t the first time GTA V has rotated on and off Game Pass — it previously left in January 2024 after a shorter stint and has come and gone several times over the years.
What Game Pass Players Should Do Before April 15
If you’ve been enjoying Los Santos through your subscription, you still have roughly two weeks to make the most of it. Microsoft is offering a 20% discount on a digital purchase of GTA V across all platforms until the game leaves the service. That discount is even deeper for some editions as part of the ongoing Xbox Spring Sale 2026.
Purchasing the game before April 15 means uninterrupted access to GTA Online, continued progress on your character, and the ability to play the Enhanced version on PC or next-gen consoles. Players who rely solely on Game Pass (especially Xbox One users streaming the Series X|S version or cloud players) will lose access entirely unless they buy the game outright.
A Look Back at GTA V’s Game Pass History
April 2025 – April 2026: 12-month run (longest yet), coinciding with PC Enhanced launch and FiveM support for Game Pass PC users.
Previous shorter stints in 2023–2024 followed the same pattern of limited-time access.
A 2023 Xbox leak revealed that Microsoft reportedly expected to pay Take-Two Interactive roughly $12–15 million per month for the rights to feature GTA V on Game Pass, based on projected playtime of around 30 million hours.
What This Means for the GTA Community
For millions of players, Game Pass has been the easiest and cheapest way to jump into GTA Online’s ever-evolving world of heists, businesses, and weekly updates. Its departure will likely push some casual players to either buy the game or step away until GTA VI arrives.
Rockstar continues to support GTA Online heavily (with fresh police-themed content dropping this week), so the online ecosystem remains very much alive. But for subscribers who haven’t pulled the trigger on ownership yet, April 15 is the deadline.
Bottom line: If GTA V has been your go-to Game Pass title, now’s the time to decide whether to buy it at a discount or wave goodbye to Los Santos until you’re ready to purchase. With GTA VI on the horizon, this could be the final major Game Pass rotation for the 2013 classic before the next chapter begins.
Have you been playing GTA V via Game Pass? Are you planning to buy it, or will you wait for GTA VI? Let us know in the comments.
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