Xbox players can try huge GTA game free this weekend

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get lost in Grand Theft Auto’s Los Santos, then we’ve got the perfect excuse for you, because GTA Online is free on Xbox for a limited time.

There’s very little chance of escaping the news that the next entry in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto series will finally grace us with its presence this coming November with GTA VI. Despite that launch only being four months away at the time of writing, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the likes of GTA V and GTA Online.

Here’s how you can play GTA Online for free!

GTA Online is free as part of Xbox’s ‘Free Play Days’, and in some cases, to play these ‘free’ games, you might need a subscription to Xbox Game Pass, but not with this one.

Literally, anyone who owns a modern Xbox console with a broadband connection can play GTA Online this weekend and beyond. Assuming you’re 18 years of age, of course. Simply download the game via the marketplace on your console or the website, and away you go.

The ‘Free Play Days’ promotion is perfect timing for GTA Online’s largest content update since The Cayo Perico Heist with The Kortz Center Heist.

In total, there are five games included in this ‘Free Play Days’ promotion, and there’s another that doesn't need an Xbox Game Pass subscription, and that’s the fighting game, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, inspired by the ever-popular anime.

As for the other three games, you will need to subscribe to any Xbox Game Pass tier. Those games are the simulation strategy, Planet Zoo: Console Edition. The first-person action horror, Crisol: Theater of Idols, and finally, the four-player party game, Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. And that’s all, folks!

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How long will these Xbox games be free, and will your data carry over?

Planet Zoo: Console Edition, Crisol: Theater of Idols, and Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports are all available until this Sunday, which comes to an end on July 19. Whereas GTA Online and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 are available until Tuesday, 21 July.

Once the ‘Free Play Days’ promotion ends, your data will be saved on your Xbox, meaning that if you decide to buy any of those games, you’ll be able to continue where you left off, or even if they come to Xbox Game Pass.

What’s more, there are some limited-time discounts to be had, such as 90% off Planet Zoo: Console Edition, 75% off Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, and 70% off Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. Currently, GTA Online and Crisol: Theater of Idols are not discounted, but that’s not to say they won’t be on another day.

Hopefully, playing GTA Online might help keep us a little occupied while we wait for Rockstar Games to finally treat us to the third GTA VI trailer. Well, at least we hope.

Grand Theft Auto VI will be released on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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