On January 5, GTA 5 will be removed from Xbox Game Pass along with four other games, but Persona 3 Reload will be added on February 2.

Microsoft has officially announced that Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) will leave Xbox Game Pass on 5 January. The popular game joined Game Pass on July 5, 2023, ending six months of the title being available to subscribers.

Contrary to the usual practice of giving advance notice of Game Pass additions, the inclusion of GTA 5 was without the usual warning, leaving subscribers caught off guard by its unannounced arrival. In addition, Rockstar titles, including GTA 5, have consistently departed on dates other than the usual 15th or last day of the month, which distinguishes them from the typical removal schedule for other Game Pass offerings.

Dedicated subscribers who have been using the service for an extended period of time could have anticipated the departure of GTA 5, as the game was listed in the “Leaving Soon” section of the app a month earlier. Contrary to initial expectations that the game would be removed by the end of the year, GTA 5 remained available on the service after 31 December.

Initial speculation was that it would leave the service on 15 January, but it was later clarified that GTA 5 had left the service earlier, on 5 January.

On January 5, not only GTA 5 will be leaving, but four other games, namely Garden Story, MotoGP 22, Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden, will also be leaving Xbox Game Pass. However, on February 2, Persona 3 Reload will also be added to Game Pass, which will be served on the first day. This add-on will offer a reimagining of the classic game and will help soften the impact of Persona 3 Portable’s departure.

Meanwhile, a trailer for GTA 6 has also arrived, giving fans who have been anxiously awaiting each new update to their favourite open-world game something to look forward to. Such is the hype surrounding the Grand Theft Auto series that the GTA 6 trailer has been viewed by over 90 million people in the 24 hours since its release.

The GTA 6 trailer has now become the most viewed non-music video, easily beating the previous record set by YouTuber Mr Beast.

Source: Mint