Xbox Game Pass adds Red Dead Redemption 2, loses Grand Theft Auto V

By Tyler Treese Published April 25, 2023

Xbox Game Pass gets a significant shake-up to its Xbox One library as it swaps out Grand Theft Auto V for Red Dead Redemption 2 on May 7.

Recommended Videos

GTA V’s exit comes suddenly, as it was only added to the subscription service on January 3. Players will have two weeks to wrap up any dirty work that Trevor, Franklin, and Michael have to finish in Los Santos. Alternatively, they can purchase a copy of the game, which is still a top-selling title nearly seven years after release, to continue their Grand Theft Auto Online adventure. Game Pass members can get GTA V for 20% off, putting it at $24 for the base game. Premium bundles and Shark Cards for its multiplayer mode are similarly discounted.

Softening the blow of GTA V’s departure after just four months on Game Pass comes with the addition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on the same day. Players can explore the Wild West on horseback as troubled outlaw Arthur Morgan attempts to define his legacy. Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play Red Dead Online as well, which allows players to carve out their own path with many lawful and illegal career opportunities.

Red Dead Redemption 2, which came out in October 2018, is the latest Rockstar release followed a month later by a beta of its online multiplayer mode. The full Red Dead Online experience came out in May 2019, and recent updates to the open-world action game include an in-depth photo mode and several story mode missions. Those that sold their copies after completing the game might want to jump back in to take on new bounty hunter tasks and its “To the Ends of the Earth” mission.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the latest high-profile game to join Xbox Game Pass, which includes over 200 Xbox One titles and all of Microsoft’s first-party offerings. A standard subscription for console or PC costs $10, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which bundles Xbox Live Gold, costs $15 a month. A single month of Ultimate is available for $1, but the price jumps back up after the discounted trial period ends.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

When not playing or writing about games, Tyler Treese serves as the Senior Editor at Wrestlezone. An experienced writer that…

Gaming

Grand Theft Auto 6 is just the tip of the iceberg for video games in 2025

Lucia and her partner rob a store in GTA 6.

A lot of long-awaited video games will finally release in 2025. But don’t let them be the only ones to grab your attention this year.

If all goes according to plan, 2025 will contain the launches of Nintendo’s Switch successor, Metroid Prime 4:Beyond, and Grand Theft Auto VI. Other high-profile games like Elden Ring: Neightreign, Doom: The Dark Ages, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Ghost of Yotei flesh out Digital Trends’ most anticipated games of 2025 list. It’s likely that these AAA adventures, and whatever Nintendo decides to deliver with its new console, will dominate gaming conversations throughout the year.

Gaming

3 games leaving Xbox Game Pass you should play this weekend (December 20-22)

A custom car built drives around Lego 2K Drive.

No more new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass for the rest of 2024. In fact, the service is going to lose some games at the end of the month. All of the games leaving the service on December 31 are very entertaining, and the lineup encompasses wacky racing games, hardcore strategy games about the history of humanity, and goofy fighting games where players control cute animals. These games are worth checking out this weekend as they're leaving Microsoft's gaming subscription service very soon.
Lego 2K Drive
LEGO 2K Drive | Awesome Reveal Trailer | Coming May 19

Racing games are some of the most approachable ones out there, so it makes sense that the genre would be a perfect fit for a Lego game. Visual Concepts and 2K went a step further than they had to with Lego 2K Drive, though, adding large open areas full of missions and minigames to experience. Lego 2K Drive is a light and breezy arcade-like racer that doesn't ask too much from players unless they want to spend a lot of time building vehicles piece by piece. After this game leaves the service at the end of the month, Forza Horizon 5 will be your only option when it comes to open-world racing games on Xbox Game Pass.

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass will lose 13 games in December, including Forza Horizon 4

forza horizon 4 xbox windows october

Xbox Game Pass games come and go every month, but December sees a total of 13 games leaving the service, including Rise of the Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon 4.

It's a definite bummer for subscribers, especially since Forza Horizon 4 still holds up even next to its successor (but not unexpected, as its DLC was delisted in June). All of these games are 20% off while they're still in the Game Pass library, so you can save a little dough to keep your favorites.