Grand Theft Auto 5 is heading back to PlayStation Plus for an unprecedented third time, according to Dealabs leaker billbil-kun who has a near-perfect track record for predicting PS Plus lineups. The game will join the Extra and Premium tier libraries on November 18, 2025, staying available for approximately six months until May 2026. The timing is either perfect or painfully ironic depending on your perspective, arriving just days after Rockstar announced GTA 6 has been delayed to November 2026.
The Third Time Around
GTA 5’s relationship with PlayStation Plus has become almost predictable at this point. The game first joined the service in December 2023, celebrating its tenth anniversary by giving subscribers access for about six months before removal in mid-June 2024. Then just five months later in November 2024, it returned for another six-month stint that ended in late May 2025. Now barely six months after leaving, it’s making its grand return on November 18.
The pattern suggests Sony and Rockstar have worked out a rotating agreement where GTA 5 appears on PS Plus for half a year, disappears for roughly the same period, and then comes back. This arrangement keeps the game in the public consciousness without permanently devaluing it by making it available indefinitely. For Sony, it’s a reliable way to pad out monthly lineups with a recognizable blockbuster that still generates buzz despite being 12 years old.
Who Is billbil-kun and Why Trust This
Billbil-kun has built an impressive reputation as one of the most reliable sources for PlayStation Plus leaks. The French leaker from Dealabs has accurately predicted monthly PS Plus lineups months in advance, hardware announcements, and various other gaming industry reveals. When billbil-kun says something is coming to PS Plus, it’s essentially a done deal waiting for Sony’s official confirmation.
For this particular leak, billbil-kun reports that Sony will officially announce the full November Extra and Premium lineup on Wednesday, November 12, with the games becoming available on Monday, November 18. This follows Sony’s typical pattern of revealing the second-tier games on the second Wednesday of each month, giving players a week’s notice before the new titles drop.
The GTA 6 Connection
The optics of this announcement are absolutely brutal. On November 6, Take-Two Interactive revealed during its earnings call that GTA 6 has been delayed from May 2026 to November 19, 2026. This marks the second major delay for the most anticipated video game in history, following the original fall 2025 target date. Fans were devastated, and social media erupted with frustration and disappointment.
Then immediately after that gut punch, billbil-kun drops the news that Sony is offering up the 12-year-old previous game as consolation. Some players are calling it a sick joke, rubbing salt in fresh wounds. Others see it as Rockstar trying to keep engagement with the franchise high during the extended wait. The more cynical take is that this was scheduled months ago and the timing lining up with the delay announcement is pure coincidence, but either way, it feels tone deaf.
What You’re Actually Getting
If you’re one of the approximately seven people on planet Earth who haven’t played GTA 5 yet, this is genuinely a great opportunity. The game sold 220 million copies, making it the second best-selling video game of all time behind only Minecraft. It’s a preposterously enjoyable, breathtaking in scope, and bitingly funny open-world crime simulator that deserved every bit of praise it received when it launched in 2013.
The version coming to PS Plus will be the enhanced edition optimized for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. You get the full single-player story following three protagonists navigating the criminal underworld of Los Santos, plus access to GTA Online, the persistent multiplayer mode that’s somehow still going strong after all these years. Rockstar continues updating GTA Online with new content, missions, and vehicles, which is part of why they keep pushing this game on every platform imaginable.
Only for Extra and Premium Subscribers
One important clarification: GTA 5 will only be available for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tier subscribers, not the basic Essential tier. Essential members get the three monthly games (currently Stray, EA Sports WRC 24, and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator through December 1), but they don’t have access to the Game Catalog that includes hundreds of additional titles.
Extra subscriptions cost $14.99 per month or $99.99 annually, while Premium runs $17.99 monthly or $119.99 yearly. Premium adds classic PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games plus game trials. If you’re already subscribed to either of those tiers, GTA 5 will automatically appear in your Game Catalog on November 18 at no additional cost. If you’re on Essential and want access, you’ll need to upgrade your subscription.
What Else Is Coming in November
GTA 5 isn’t the only confirmed addition to PS Plus for November. Tomb Raider Anniversary, the 2007 remake of the original Tomb Raider, has been confirmed for the Premium tier. This was originally scheduled for October but got mysteriously delayed at the last minute. The rest of the November Extra and Premium lineup remains unknown until Sony’s official announcement on November 12.
Meanwhile, several games are leaving PS Plus Extra and Premium on November 18, so grab them before they disappear. The departures include Battlefield V, Digimon Survive, Football Manager 2024, Alternate Jake Hunter Daedalus The Awakening of Golden Jazz, Travis Strikes Again No More Heroes, Synapse, and Yakuza Like a Dragon Ishin. If any of those interest you, download them now because you’ll lose access once they’re removed.
The Business Strategy Behind This
From a business perspective, repeatedly adding and removing GTA 5 from PlayStation Plus makes perfect sense for both Sony and Rockstar. The game still commands a premium price when purchased outright, typically selling for $19.99 on sale and higher at full retail. By rotating it in and out of PS Plus, they create urgency without permanently giving it away.
For Sony, GTA 5 is a guaranteed headline grabber that helps justify subscription costs. Even though most people have already played it, having a game this iconic in the catalog adds perceived value that helps retain subscribers. For Rockstar, it keeps new players flowing into GTA Online’s ecosystem where microtransactions generate ongoing revenue through Shark Cards and other in-game purchases. It’s a win-win situation, even if returning subscribers feel like they’re getting recycled content.
The Bigger Picture
This situation perfectly captures the weird limbo GTA 6 has created in the gaming industry. Rockstar has been milking GTA 5 for over a decade, continuously updating GTA Online while development on the sequel stretched longer and longer. The game has been released across three console generations, and it’s about to be available on PS Plus for the third time before its successor even launches.
When GTA 6 finally arrives on November 19, 2026, it will have been 13 years since GTA 5’s original release. That’s an entire console generation and then some. No wonder fans are frustrated when they see the old game being recycled yet again instead of getting meaningful news about the sequel. At least this time around, we have an actual concrete release date for GTA 6, assuming it doesn’t get delayed a third time.
FAQs
When is GTA 5 coming to PlayStation Plus in November 2025?
GTA 5 will be added to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tiers on November 18, 2025.
How long will GTA 5 stay on PS Plus this time?
Based on previous patterns, GTA 5 is expected to remain on PlayStation Plus for approximately six months, likely until May 2026.
Will PS Plus Essential subscribers get GTA 5?
No, GTA 5 will only be available for Extra and Premium tier subscribers, not the basic Essential tier.
How many times has GTA 5 been on PlayStation Plus?
This will be the third time GTA 5 has been added to PlayStation Plus. It was previously available from December 2023 to June 2024, and again from November 2024 to May 2025.
Who leaked the GTA 5 PS Plus information?
Billbil-kun from Dealabs, a reliable leaker with a strong track record for accurately predicting PlayStation Plus lineups.
When will Sony officially announce the full November PS Plus lineup?
Sony is expected to officially reveal the complete Extra and Premium lineup on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
What version of GTA 5 is coming to PS Plus?
The enhanced edition optimized for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, which includes both the single-player story and access to GTA Online.
What games are leaving PS Plus in November?
Games departing on November 18 include Battlefield V, Digimon Survive, Football Manager 2024, and Yakuza Like a Dragon Ishin, among others.
Does this mean GTA 6 is delayed again?
GTA 6 has already been delayed to November 19, 2026. The GTA 5 PS Plus addition is separate from that announcement but landed around the same time.
Conclusion
Grand Theft Auto 5’s third appearance on PlayStation Plus feels less like exciting news and more like business as usual at this point. The game has become a rotating fixture in Sony’s subscription service, appearing for six months, disappearing for six months, and then coming back like clockwork. While it’s undeniably a fantastic game that newcomers should experience, the timing right after GTA 6’s delay announcement makes this feel less like a gift and more like a reminder of what we’re still waiting for. If you haven’t played GTA 5 somehow, November 18 is your chance to see what all the fuss was about for free with your Extra or Premium subscription. For everyone else, this is just another six months of Los Santos in the catalog while we count down the days until Vice City finally becomes playable in November 2026.