The GTA 6 release date is still November 19, 2026 and the wait for GTA 6 is getting shorter. Despite rumours of delays floating around online, the release window hasn’t officially been pushed back yet.
As excitement around the next Grand Theft Auto grows bigger, many fans believe this could be the perfect time for Rockstar Games and Epic Games to make GTA 5 free once again.
It has already happened once before, and many players still remember how massive that giveaway became.
GTA 5 Free Giveaway Was A Huge Success
Back in May 2020, Epic Games surprised players by offering GTA 5 completely free for a limited time. The giveaway quickly became one of the biggest moments in PC gaming.
Millions of users rushed to claim the game, and the popularity became so huge that Epic Games servers even faced technical problems during the event.
Since then, GTA 5 has mostly remained a paid title, even though regular discounts still appear on different platforms. Right now, some versions of the game are available at lower prices, but free access creates a completely different level of attention.
A Free GTA 5 Could Bring New Players Before GTA 6
One major reason why another giveaway makes sense is simple: many players still have never tried GTA 5.
Even after all these years, new gamers continue entering the gaming world every day. A free release could introduce a fresh audience to Los Santos before GTA 6 finally arrives.
This would also help Rockstar in another important way.
Once players enter GTA Online, many of them usually spend money on in-game content, vehicles, businesses, and Shark Cards. Even if the main game becomes free, Rockstar can still earn huge revenue through the online mode.
That business model has already worked successfully for years.
GTA Online Still Needs Active Players
As GTA 6 is dropping soon, some of the older GTA Online players will probably reduce their playtime slowly as they wait for the new game. This could affect online lobbies but also general server activity.
A new wave of free players would help to keep GTA Online alive and active during this period.
This is even more important as GTA 6 Online is not expected to launch right alongside the base game. That suggests that for some time after the launch of GTA 6, GTA Online from GTA 5 might remain the main multiplayer experience.
Rockstar Games. It may be very helpful for Rockstar Games to keep the community active until then.
Epic Games Would Also Get Paid Big Time
Not to mention it would help Rockstar. Another GTA 5 giveaway could also bring a tonne of traffic to Epic Games.
Epic Games has built up a reputation over the years for offering free game promotions. Big giveaways often increase account registrations, downloads, and store activity.
The company has already given away several major titles in previous events, including big AAA games. Because of that, GTA 5 returning as a free game would likely create another huge wave of attention for the Epic Games Store.
Current Mystery Game Event Makes Timing Interesting
But another reason fans are discussing this possibility is because Epic Games has already started a new Mystery Games promotion.
With the event currently underway, many players believe GTA 5 could be the perfect fit in the line-up ahead of the launch of GTA 6 later this year.
Such a move would create hype for both companies at the same time. Epic Games could return millions of users to its platform, and Rockstar could bring more players to GTA Online.
Fans are still waiting for official news
As of now, there is no official confirmation regarding GTA 5 going free again. Still, a lot of fans think the idea makes perfect sense from a marketing and business perspective.
GTA 6 is one of the biggest games ever to be anticipated, so bringing GTA 5 back one last time for free could easily be one of the biggest gaming moments of 2026.
Also Read: Epic Games Mega Sale 2026: Free Games And Best Deals
