After the disappointing launch of Redfall back in May, Xbox Game Pass has had a few quieter months to retreat and recuperate from the major loss, though things seem to be getting back on track. Following a solid selection of games last month like Amnesia: The Bunker and Need for Speed Unbound, Xbox Game Pass is providing another exciting selection for July 2023, including some big heavy hitters.
There are currently nine games confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in July 2023. Some of the biggest Game Pass releases this month include Capcom's dinosaur co-op shooter Exoprimal, landing day-one on the service, and Arcade Paradise, an addictive business sim that subscribers can already get their hands on. But by far the most impressive Xbox Game Pass July 2023 addition is Grand Theft Auto 5, a game that should open the floodgates for the rest of the series on Xbox Game Pass.
GTA 5 Should Usher In a Storm of GTA on Xbox Game Pass
In a complete surprise announcement, Grand Theft Auto 5 has just been added to Xbox Game Pass. GTA 5 has had a long history with Xbox Game Pass, first appearing on the service all the way back in January 2020 and leaving just a few months later in May. After that, GTA 5 came to Game Pass in April 2021, and stayed again for just a few months, leaving in August. And now GTA 5 is back once again, gracing Xbox Game Pass subscribers with its presence for who knows how long. Though Grand Theft Auto 5's presence on Game Pass isn't anything too new, it's still a great pull for the service, offering players tons of content during these drier months between big game release periods.
But GTA 5 on Xbox Game Pass should only be the beginning. The 2021 GTA Definitive Trilogy was an extremely divisive remastered collection of GTA 3, San Andreas, and Vice City, but despite its shortcomings, it does still let fans enjoy those classic games on modern consoles, and it would be great to see them come to Xbox Game Pass - or in the case of one of these, see them return.
The definitive version of GTA: San Andreas was actually added to Xbox Game Pass on the Definitive Trilogy's release date, letting players sample a third of the entire experience for free. At the same time, the definitive version of GTA 3 was added to PS Now. However, San Andreas was removed about six months later in May 2022. Since then, there have been no GTA games on Xbox Game Pass, but it's time for the floodgates to be opened. Xbox Game Pass should add the entire GTA Definitive Trilogy, bringing all three games to the service for the first time.
But on top of the Definitive Trilogy, Xbox Game Pass should also add Grand Theft Auto 4 to the service. Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed entries in the franchise, it often feels as though GTA 4 has been forgotten about in the wake of GTA 5, and there are countless Xbox Game Pass subscribers that will have never played the game before. With GTA 4 already being available via backwards compatibility, it only makes sense to add it to Xbox Game Pass alongside the rest of the GTA titles available on the Xbox platforms. With no Grand Theft Auto games currently available on PlayStation Plus, it's the perfect time for Xbox Game Pass to swoop in and collect them all in one highly accessible place.