Xbox has revealed the surprising return of GTA 5 to the Xbox Game Pass library, sparking speculation of an imminent Rockstar reveal of GTA 6.
A decade on from its original 2013 release, GTA 5 continues to be a gaming behemoth and is one of the few titles to live through the transition of three different generations of consoles.
Xbox has now revealed that GTA 5 is returning to Xbox Game Pass today (July 5), almost two years since it left the Game Pass Library in August 2021—which was its second time available for no extra cost to Game Pass subscribers.
With GTA 5 now back in the library, many fans have been left wondering if this is a hint that a long-awaited reveal of GTA 6 is right around the corner.
Plenty of fans took to social media to speculate that GTA 5‘s Game Pass return was to build hype for a GTA 6 announcement, though you don’t really need to build much hype for what is arguably the most anticipated game of all time.
Others stated they wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement trailer for GTA 6 drop in the coming months, particularly with Gamescom on the agenda in August.
If a reveal of GTA 6 is to happen this year, surely the most likely stage for the reveal is at December’s Game Awards, which would give the entire gaming industry a massive boost in the build-up to the festive season.
Even if a reveal is right around the corner, the bad news is GTA 6 is still likely to be quite a way off. At the earliest, a release would be the fourth quarter of 2024 which, given the September release of GTA 5 and the rumors that GTA 6 will launch sometime in Take-Two’s 2024 financial year, seems to be a pretty solid bet.
That’s merely a brave punt though and, given the amount of triple-A games that encounter delays these days, don’t be surprised if the wait extends in 2025 and beyond.