Is Grand Theft Auto V Free on Steam? No – But Here‘s How to Get it Cheap
As an avid PC gamer and industry commentator, one question I often get asked is – can you download Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) and play for free if you have a Steam account?
The short answer is no, unlike the recent standalone GTA Online on PlayStation 5 which was offered as a free title, there is currently no way to legally obtain GTA 5 for free on Steam. However, you can frequently buy it at large discounts – if you time it right, up to 50-65% off during Steam sales!
Let‘s do a deeper dive on the options for accessing this ever-popular open world action game on Steam, without completely breaking the bank:
Is GTA 5‘s Story Mode Free on Steam?
- Base game Requires Purchase
- Exception: Special Limited-Time Promotions
Rockstar Games has mastered the "premium" pricing model for its perennially top-selling Grand Theft Auto series – it rarely, if ever, offers the main single-player story mode as a free download.
GTA 5 is no exception, commanding a steady standard price of $29.99 for the base version on Steam (discounted from original $59.99 since its age). This buys you full access to the main single-player story mode and GTA Online.
| Steam Store Page Purchase Options | Includes | Price (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| GTA 5 | Story Mode + GTA Online | $29.99 |
| GTA 5 + Megalodon Shark Card Bundle | Story Mode + GTA Online + $8M In-Game Cash | $84.99 |
| GTA 5 Premium Edition | Story Mode + GTA Online + All DLCs + In-Game Cash | $39.99 |
The only exceptions have been special limited-time promotions:
- Free 1 week giveaway on Epic Games Store from May 14 to May 21, 2020
- Bundled with hardware purchases e.g. free on select Nvidia GPUs in 2019
So if you see a "Free GTA 5 on Steam" clickbait somewhere, don‘t get your hopes up high! Outside of temporary sales or giveaways that developers announce officially, assume the base game requires purchase.
What About GTA Online? F2P Model Coming?
- GTA Online Requires Owning Base Game Currently
- F2P Standalone Rumors Gathering Steam
On consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, GTA Online is only playable if you own GTA 5. But rumors are rife the long-running multiplayer component will eventually adopt a free-to-play model instead, with microtransactions sustaining revenue.
This speculation fired up once again upon Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirming a standalone GTA Online release is in the works. In late 2021, Rockstar made its first F2P move – launching a standalone GTA Online as a PlayStation 5 exclusive free game for 3 months.
Though popular, GTA Online has often suffered accusations of overly aggressive monetization tactics and grinding – issues a well-executed F2P shift could address by expanding the player base dramatically.
As an industry analyst I predict it‘s only a matter of time before GTA Online drops the paid requirement on PC as well. This will demolish one of the last barriers to hitting that long-coveted 100 million player milestone GTA 5 has been nearing for years.
Strategies to Buy GTA 5 Cheap on Steam
- Wait For Sale Period Discounts
- Use Third Party Key Sites With Caution
- Hardware Bundles Can Bring Savings Too
Even once GTA 5 inevitably releases as a free game for owners of GTA Online, it‘ll likely retain a price tag for accessing the vast story mode content.
Thankfully for budget gamers, Steam‘s frequent, aggressive sale discounts let you grab GTA 5 for 65% off or under – dropping as low as $15 based on historical pricing trends!
| Sale Period | % Discount | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Summer Sale | -50% | $14.99 |
| 2022 Lunar Sale | -50% | $14.99 |
| 2022 Summer Sale | -50% | $14.99 |
The key is timing – activate email alerts for the next major Steam sale, or track via sites like SteamDB. Fanatical, GreenManGaming etc also run matching discounts.
Additionally, Nvidia has previously offered GTA 5 for free when buying select RTX graphics cards – so keep an eye on similar hardware bundle promotions.
Finally, use unauthorized third party key resellers at your own risk – often pricing too good to be true comes Backdoor Keys that can get revoked later. For guaranteed safe keys, authorized storefronts only!
With the above tips, savvy gamers can sidestep that nearly $30 minimum spend for GTA 5 on Steam through sales strategies. Sweeten the pot by trading items in GTA Online to accelerate money gains pre-F2P shift!
Hopefully the above sheds light on officially playing the greatest modern crime saga ever told for minimum damage to your Steam wallet. Feel free to ping me with any other title pricing questions!
