Grand Theft Auto V returns to Xbox Game Pass and it’s coming to the cloud

By Giovanni Colantonio April 6, 2021

Microsoft revealed its next round of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in April. The biggest announcement is the return of Grand Theft Auto V, which will be available on Microsoft’s cloud gaming service.

Grand Theft Auto V was previously available on Xbox Game Pass until it was removed from the service in May 2020. At the time, Microsoft switched it out for Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2, which has since left the Game Pass catalog.

Games are coming. this is us telling you about them https://t.co/Y9j4eT5RXS pic.twitter.com/Cl78CBvdvb

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) April 6, 2021

GTAV returns to Xbox Game Pass on April 8. It will be available for console subscribers, but not on the PC version of the service. The open world game is also coming to Microsoft’s cloud streaming service. It’ll be playable on Android devices, though the service is expected to launch on iOS sometime this spring.

Other notable additions include Zombie Army 4: Dead War, which is also free for PS Plus subscribers this month. It comes to PC, console, and cloud on April 8.

A pair of Disney games, Disneyland Adventures and Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure, hit the cloud on April 8. Indie games Rain on Your Parade and Pathway are joining the service on April 15. NHL 21 comes to consoles on April 12 via EA Play. Finally, the previously announced MLB The Show 21 hits consoles and the cloud on its launch day, April 2o.

The update is more notable for what’s leaving Game Pass than what’s joining it. Game Pass loses 10 titles in April, though most of those are EA sports games. Five Madden games will disappear from the service on April 16, as will two NHL games. A trio of indies, including the standout tactics game Wargroove, depart on April 15.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

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Valheim player standing in a field.

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The announcement came as part of IGN's 2023 Fan Fest event. In addition to a release date announcement, we also saw a gameplay trailer showing it running on Xbox Series X, which seemed on par with how the game runs on higher-end PCs. We also learned that Valheim will support full crossplay between PC and Xbox consoles when it finally launches. This release marks the first time Valheim will be available on console since the fantasy survival game rose to popularity in early 2021. For the time being, this also means that Valheim is an Xbox console exclusive.

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MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March

Jazz Chisholm's cover art for MLB The Show 23.

Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28.
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row.
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As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year.
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Goldeneye 007 comes to Game Pass and Nintendo Switch later this week

goldeneye 007 switch xbox release date january 27

Rare, Nintendo, and Xbox Game Studios confirmed that their remaster of classic Nintendo 64 FPS Goldeneye 007 will launch on January 27 across Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
GoldenEye 007 – Xbox Game Pass Date Reveal Trailer
For most, this long-awaited enhanced re-release will be locked behind a subscription service. On Nintendo Switch, the only way to play Goldeneye 007 is with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription, which grants players access to a variety of Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, NES, and SNES games alongside the DLC to some first-party Nintendo titles. That said, Microsoft has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch version of Goldeneye 007 will be the only one to feature online multiplayer, although it'll still be displayed in split-screen.
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Goldeneye 007 releases for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on January 27.