GTA 6 is just a few months away, and pre-orders are already live at the $80 price point. However, if you were planning to access the game through an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you will need to adjust your expectations. Grand Theft Auto VI will not be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, and the same restriction applies to PC players. This means casual gamers hoping to avoid purchasing a $600 console cannot rely on the subscription service as a workaround.
Will GTA 6 Come to Xbox Game Pass Later?
While a future addition to the Xbox Game Pass library is probable—previous Grand Theft Auto titles have joined the service—any such arrival would likely take considerable time. Furthermore, Xbox Game Pass is implementing strict monthly limits on cloud gaming starting in November 2025, the same month GTA 6 is scheduled to release.
Understanding Xbox Game Pass Offerings
Xbox Game Pass is a monthly subscription providing online console multiplayer access and a rotating library of games. The $22.99 per month Game Pass Ultimate tier includes over 500 titles, encompassing select launch-day releases, and does not require an Xbox console. However, not all games are added to the service, and major third-party releases rarely appear on day one.
Take-Two’s Stance on Subscription Services
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games’ parent company), addressed the publisher’s perspective on subscription models during a GamesIndustry.biz live event in 2022.
“We’ve supported various subscription services and we’re happy to do so,” Zelnick said at the time. “Our scepticism has been around making frontline console products available day and date with subscription. That doesn’t make any sense to us, because economically speaking, we don’t think consumers are prepared to pay for that. And we can’t afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn’t make sense economically. There always has to be an intersection between what the consumer wants and what the publisher is able to do. And you know, it doesn’t make sense to do that for our properties.”
Historical Precedent: GTA 5 on Game Pass
Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, has cycled in and out of Xbox Game Pass several times—in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2025—typically remaining for a few months before removal. Its most recent stint ended on April 15, 2026. Notably, GTA 5’s first Game Pass inclusion occurred more than six and a half years after its initial launch.
The Bottom Line for Launch Day
Whether GTA 6 follows a similar timeline remains unknown. For players determined to experience the game at release later this year, the only option is to purchase it outright for play on Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
