Rockstar Raises GTA+ Subscription Price by 33%, Sparking Backlash from Fans

Rockstar's GTA+ price increase has sparked a heated debate among fans.

By: Caleb Sama Published: April 11th, 2024 - 6:19 am PST | Updated: April 24th, 2024 - 7:11 am PST

GTA+ was launched in 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Snapshot

Rockstar Games is increasing the price of its GTA+ subscription service by 33%, drawing criticism from fans who feel the current benefits don't justify the hike.
The change comes after recent additions to the service, including access to classic Rockstar titles and exclusive in-game perks for GTA Online.
Industry analysts suggest the move may be an attempt to boost revenue from the highly profitable GTA Online platform, with Take-Two's upcoming investor call likely to address the issue.

Fans of Grand Theft Auto Online woke up to a nasty surprise today, as Rockstar Games has increased the price of the game’s optional GTA+ subscription service. It’s a bold move, and might be part of a broader plan to set the stage for changes impending with the upcoming launch of GTA 6, slated for 2025.

The GTA+ membership, which has been available for two years, has seen its monthly cost jump from $5.99/£4.99/€5.99 to new price points of $7.99/£6.99/€7.99, marking a 33% increase. This news was first spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit user u/mercadess550owner, who reported seeing the new pricing reflected in both the Xbox and PlayStation digital stores.

The price hike comes after Rockstar recently added more perks to the GTA+ service, including access to classic Rockstar titles like the GTA Trilogy and Red Dead Redemption, as well as exclusive in-game locations and a monthly $1 million bonus for GTA+ members.

However, many players feel the increased cost is not justified by the current benefits. “Nothing justifies jumping the price by 35% for no apparent reason. I’m normally the one to quash people who rapidly conclude that anything they don’t like is because [R]ockstar just wants money — but this move really is,” commented Reddit user u/Happy8Day.

Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare expansion are available for free to GTA+ subscribers. — *Red Dead Redemption* and its *Undead Nightmare* expansion are available for free to GTA+ subscribers.

While Rockstar has not provided an explanation for the price hike, industry analysts suggest it may be an attempt to squeeze even more revenue out of the extremely profitable GTA Online platform. With Take-Two’s upcoming investor call just a month away, the publisher will likely face questions about the changes and potential impacts.

It isn’t clear how accurate a picture we’re getting of the overall impact and response – historically GTA Online’s active community present on various discussion boards only ever represented a tiny fraction of its overall playerbase, to a greater extreme than is normal with these popular multiplayer titles. Is the average subscriber as incensed?

GTA+ subscribers will be watching closely to see if there are any as-yet unannounced additional benefits to accompany the price increase. For now though, many appear to be voting with their wallets, taking to social media to discuss canceling their memberships.

Comments: 13 replies

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digitalDrifter_21

Active member

119 messages 61 likes

#1 Apr 12, 2024

So I did go to the site and both PS and Xbox have the increased price now so this must have just happened yesterday. This is going to cause people to cancel. I guarantee it. I canceled several platforms over price hikes including Netflix and I never went back. I have not had an account with them for 10 years now.

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QuantumKoala

Member

68 messages 34 likes

#2 Apr 12, 2024

I thought this was just a rumor but I guess not. They really did increase the price. I mean I knew it was eventually coming. The more they add, the higher the price will go. I can bet you it becomes $10 a month when GTA 6 comes out.

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EliteGamer

Active member

122 messages 70 likes

#3 Apr 12, 2024

This is the kind of surprise we don't want Rockstar!

This is making me more worried now that GTA 6 mind end up being more expensive. Like they are trying to ease us into it...

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FragMaster2000

Active member

101 messages 57 likes

#4 Apr 13, 2024

This is pretty lame.
Maybe hiking this price can be to offset raising that? You never know. I don't think they are ballsy enough to be the first to charge more for a AAA game. not in this economy.

Reply 1 Like

gamerGuru

Active member

126 messages 87 likes

#5 Apr 13, 2024

They probably would have been better off waiting until the next big update happens. I know they are planning on releasing a lot of stuff for GTA+ members with that so it just would have made way more sense to me.

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RetroRanger

Member

95 messages 47 likes

#6 Apr 16, 2024

Not happy about this. I know they added stuff to the subscription but it is things I already have or had access to and no longer care about. So for me the price hike gained me nothing of value.

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digitalDrifter_21

Active member

119 messages 61 likes

#7 Apr 20, 2024

A lot of people are saying that. If they are increasing it ahead of GTA 6 we can expect them to raise it again shortly after or before the release of the game. It is just annoying man. I don't like the direction gaming is heading as a whole. I feel like eventually we won't own any games at all and we will be paying subscriptions for everything.

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QuantumKoala

Member

68 messages 34 likes

#8 Apr 20, 2024

Everything is costing more for sure so it is not a good look for people that are having to balance and pick and choose what their finances are spent on. I can tell you that something like this will be the first to go for me when I have to cut back more especially now that it costs more.

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EliteGamer

Active member

122 messages 70 likes

#9 Apr 21, 2024

Maybe that is the case but we will have no way of knowing that right now. Some people are getting concerned too that GTA online will be a monthly fee in the future, like you will have to pay to play like you do in some other games. This is not including GTA+ either.

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obsidian_eevee

New member

5 messages 2 likes

#10 Apr 23, 2024

Glad I bought my version ages ago

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digitalDrifter_21

Active member

119 messages 61 likes

#11 Apr 29, 2024

Can't blame you. I know on another forum I am on, a good number of people canceled their GTA+ sub over this. $2 don't seem like much but that is $24 more a year.

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QuantumKoala

Member

68 messages 34 likes

#12 Apr 29, 2024

That is the thing, it does add up and on top of already paying $72 a year for it, that puts it damn near $100 a year. It is fine for me at the moment but if a time comes I need to cut back, it is gone. I have already reduced streaming services.

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digitalDrifter_21

Active member

119 messages 61 likes

#13 May 08, 2024

It does add up and for a lot of people, it just is not worth it when they need to pinch pennies. I get that the gaming industry is hurting and having to charge more for stuff just like everything else but bills and stuff come first.

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About the Author Caleb Sama // Articles: 15

Ever since Caleb discovered GTA 3, he has taken it upon himself to learn everything there is to know about the fictional worlds created by Rockstar Games. His obsession with Red Dead Redemption earned him the nickname John Marston. Thankfully, GTA V was released a few years later, and he found a new game to fixate on. Now, he simply crawls the web like a bot, searching for every bit of information that might give him a headstart on GTA 6. // Full Bio