Microsoft is adding a massive new free game to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, bringing back a wildly popular title with perfect timing.

The recent addition of Grand Theft Auto 5 to Xbox Game Pass was perfectly timed, as the blockbuster game was added just before Microsoft made the subscription service slightly more expensive. Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the highest-rated and best-selling video games of all time, so it’s clearly a huge “get” for Xbox Game Pass.

This isn’t the first time a Rockstar Games title has been added to Xbox Game Pass. Based on previous Rockstar titles that have been part of the Game Pass service, it’s likely that Grand Theft Auto 5 won’t exactly follow the “one year” rule that applies to most new Game Pass subscriptions. With that in mind, any Xbox Game Pass subscriber looking to play Grand Theft Auto 5 should do so soon to make sure they have enough time to play the game as much as they want.

It’s probably no coincidence that Grand Theft Auto 5 was added to Xbox Game Pass just before the price hike. For the uninitiated, Microsoft has increased the price of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In the US, the price of Xbox Game Pass increased from $9.99 to $10.99, while the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate increased from $14.99 to $16.99. Game Pass on PC was not affected by the price increase, but it is also worth noting that the PC version of Grand Theft Auto 5 cannot be played through Game Pass at this time.

The fact that Microsoft made GTA 5 available for Game Pass right before the price increase is a smart move, because even though the game is almost a decade old, it is still one of the most popular video games in the world. It’s the kind of game that even casual gamers might see advertised for Game Pass and might think about signing up. Therefore, it pairs quite well with the recurring $1 Game Pass sale.

For years, Microsoft offered new Xbox Game Pass subscribers a great deal where they could sign up for $1 and convert any of their Xbox Live Gold time to Game Pass Ultimate. The conversion ratio that was once 1:1 is now 3:2, so subscribers aren’t getting as much Game Pass Ultimate for their Xbox Live Gold time, but it’s still a good deal. However, one of the disadvantages of the recurring $1 (in our case HUF 300) Game Pass promotion is that this time it only applies to PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the basic Game Pass is left out.

Just as it probably wasn’t a coincidence that Grand Theft Auto 5 was added to Xbox Game Pass right before the price increase, it also seems very strategic that the $1 offer was brought back. Xbox Game Pass still offers ridiculous value to consumers even after the price hike, so it’s unlikely they’ll lose subscribers due to the move. And with the first day of the massive Starfield game just around the corner, there’s a good chance that Xbox Game Pass will attract even more new subscribers than ever before.

Source: GameRant