Fact Check: Is GTA Online free-to-play?

GTA Online's technicality of being a free-to-play game depends on a number of factors that are worth addressing here. It isn't as simple as saying it is free-to-play since there are several instances where you have to spend money in order to play the game. Here are several caveats worth addressing:

• Some promotions give away the game for free
• Online play on Xbox and Playstation consoles requires a paid subscription for their relevant services
• The game itself usually costs money

GTA Online isn't a traditional free-to-play game. If anything, it's a paid game that is sometimes given away for free. The most important thing to note is that once you own this game, you never have to pay Rockstar Games again for any subscription just to play the title.

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GTA Online isn't always free-to-play

PS5 players might remember this splashart (Image via Rockstar Games)

There have been a few instances when this game was technically free-to-play:

• GTA 5 (the base game that is bundled with Online) was free on the Epic Games Store throughout May 2020, and it ended on May 21
• GTA Online (as a standalone title) was free for PS5 owners from March 15 through June 14, 2022

It is vital to mention that the second bullet point also came with the caveat that PS5 players had to pay for PlayStation Plus. If one got the game from Epic Games Store, then that would technically be free-to-play since there are no additional costs to playing the game.

That's more of an exception than the norm. Otherwise, you usually have to purchase the game.

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No required subscriptions

GTA+ is optional (Image via Rockstar Games)

Some online multiplayer games require the player to pay monthly installments to continually play the game. GTA Online is not one of them. The only technical requirement would be that you have to keep paying for the internet and any additional console-related services like Xbox Live or PS Plus.

You are not required to pay Rockstar Games for anything past the game itself.

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There are microtransactions

The most notable MTX (Image via Rockstar Games)

Like many F2P games, GTA Online has a myriad of microtransactions available to the player. The two most notable ones are:

1. Shark Cards
2. GTA+

Shark Cards are essentially a microtransaction where you pay real-life money to get some in-game cash. It's completely optional but may assist players who wish to purchase the multiplayer game's many expensive items.

GTA+ is similar, except it's an optional monthly subscription that gives gamers an abundance of different rewards. You can usually expect $500,000, a free vehicle, a free property, several free clothes, and a boost to the amount of money from some activity.

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Verdict

Official artwork for this game (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA Online isn't a free-to-play game per se. While there are instances where you can get the game for free, that's few and far between. Not to mention, this game doesn't get the same free online play treatment on console that other F2P games get.

For example, you can play Fortnite on PS5 without paying for PS Plus, but you cannot do the same with GTA Online. The only true free-to-play example would have been the free copy of this game that you got from Epic Game's promotion back in 2020.

This popular game is not currently free for everybody.