No—there is no official evidence that PlayStation Plus was permanently removed as a requirement for GTA Online. Rockstar’s no-subscription access was a limited free trial from November 11 to 17, 2025, and Rockstar said the requirement would return afterward. The US PlayStation Store listing for GTA Online on PS5 still says “PS Plus required for online play.”
Did GTA Online remove the PS Plus requirement?
No permanent removal is established by the official information available as of October 8, 2026. Rockstar described a temporary free trial, not a lasting policy change. Its notice said players would not need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass to participate in that trial, then said the relevant subscription requirement would be reinstated when the trial ended. Rockstar’s notice was last updated November 11, 2025.
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Rockstar’s GTAV title-update notes page, last updated August 18, 2026, includes an October 1, 2026 entry but does not announce a permanent removal. That alone cannot rule out a separate announcement, so the clearest current platform-specific evidence is the PlayStation Store listing below.
What does the PlayStation Store say?
The US PlayStation Store listing for the standalone PS5 version of Grand Theft Auto Online states: “PS Plus required for online play.” It also lists support for up to 30 online players with PS Plus. The player figure is a game capability, not an audience statistic. The listing is specific to the US and PS5; it should not be treated as confirmation of rules for every region, console generation, or way of accessing the game. View the US PlayStation Store listing.
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- Redeem for anything on PlayStationStore: games, add-ons, PlayStationPlus and more.
- Everything you want to play. Choose from the largest library of PlayStation content.
- Use gift card funds to contribute towards PlayStationPlus memberships.
What happened during the no-PS-Plus period?
Rockstar offered a limited free trial on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S from November 11 through November 17, 2025. During that period, players did not need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass to take part in the trial. Rockstar said that once it ended, players would need to acquire GTA Online Standalone to continue playing and the subscription requirement would be reinstated.
That trial is not evidence that the game itself became free permanently or that online play on PlayStation no longer requires PS Plus. The trial terms and the PlayStation Store statement address different things: temporary access to the trial, and the subscription requirement for online play under the ordinary listing.
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- Redeem for anything on PlayStationStore: games, add-ons, PlayStationPlus and more.
- Everything you want to play. Choose from the largest library of PlayStation content.
- Use gift card funds to contribute towards PlayStationPlus memberships.
Can you play GTA Online without PlayStation Plus now?
For ordinary online play on PS5 in the US, the Store listing says PS Plus is required. The available official evidence does not establish current requirements for other countries, PS4, or every access route, so check the local PlayStation Store listing and applicable platform terms for those cases. Rockstar’s 2025 trial does not establish an ongoing exception.
Do not infer that GTA+ replaces PlayStation Plus: the cited official information does not say that it does.
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- Redeem for anything on PlayStationStore: games, add-ons, PlayStationPlus and more.
- Everything you want to play. Choose from the largest library of PlayStation content.
- Use gift card funds to contribute towards PlayStationPlus memberships.
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- Redeem for anything on PlayStationStore: games, add-ons, PlayStationPlus and more.
- Everything you want to play. Choose from the largest library of PlayStation content.
- Use gift card funds to contribute towards PlayStationPlus memberships.
Sources and scope
- Rockstar Support notice: limited 2025 trial dates, platforms, and statement that the subscription requirement would return.
- US PlayStation Store listing for GTA Online on PS5: current listing language on PS Plus and online play.
- Rockstar GTAV title-update notes: notes checked through October 1, 2026, with no permanent removal announcement in the retrieved entries.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
