GTA 6 on Game Pass and PS Plus isn’t happening, Take-Two says

“Because our decisions are rational”

Rockstar Games

In case there was any doubt about the fact, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said no, GTA 6 on Game Pass and PS Plus isn’t happening – at launch, anyway. You won't find it on GTA+ like the GTA Trilogy – Definitive Edition either, as Zelnick has rather different views than Microsoft when it comes to launching new, premium games.

GamesIndustry.biz recently asked Zelnick about his thoughts on Microsoft planning to offer Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Xbox Game Pass – or a specific Game Pass tier – and he said it's just not a model that suits Take-Two.

“I think that offering a frontline title with a premium price in a subscription service, day and date, will push consumers to that subscription service for at least a period of time,” Zelnick said. “it won't affect our decisions because our decisions are rational.”

That sounds like a bit of a burn directed at Microsoft, but Zelnick was – probably – referring to his stance on subscription platforms from a few years back. In 2022, Zelnick told GamesIndustry that he didn’t think consumers were prepared to pay for subscription services that launched highly anticipated games on the first day, so Take-Two had little incentive to do it.

“We can't afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn't make sense economically,” Zelnick said. “There always has to be an intersection between what the consumer wants and what the publisher is able to do.”

Most of Take-Two’s games never make it to subscription services of any kind. GTA 5 is leaving Game Pass, GTA 4 isn’t on any subscription platform, and the only way to play GTA Trilogy – Definitive Edition without buying it is by subscribing to the GTA Online platform. Neither Red Dead Redemption game is on Game Pass or PS Plus, either. If you want GTA 6's take on Florida, you'll have to pay full price for it.

GTA 6 is still on track for a fall 2025 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and unlike some new and in-progress productions, the latest SAG-AFTRA strike lets GTA 6 actors continue their work on the upcoming game.