Ahead of what will undoubtedly be the biggest gaming release of the year and potentially of the decade, with GTA 6, developer Rockstar and publisher Take-Two are letting players still engaged with GTA 5 have a nice freebie. If you're someone who is still playing your digital copy of the PS4 or Xbox One version of GTA 5 on your current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, then starting tomorrow, you're getting a major upgrade, as owners of the digital version of the last-gen version of the game are getting a free update to the current-gen version.
Announced in a blog post from Rockstar, this freebie saves players from spending an additional $30 USD to grab the current-gen version of the game. Also, it's worth noting that PC players aren't being left out in the cold. If you've been playing the Legacy version of GTA 5 on your PC, you'll be able to upgrade to the Enhanced version for free.
"Beginning tomorrow, those who own any PS4 version or the digital Xbox One version of Grand Theft Auto 5 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S versions at no additional cost, and experience the best versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online ahead of the launch of the Kortz Center Heist," Rockstar writes.
"GTA 5 and GTA Online on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S feature vast technical improvements, easy migration of your Story Mode and Online progress, and new features including Hao's Special Works high-performance vehicles and upgrades, Career Progress rewards, and much more."
It's a nice gesture to give players who may still be on the older version of the game a free update to the latest one so they can catch up, but it shouldn't be confused with any actual attempt at kindness from Rockstar. It doesn't exactly mean as much to give players a freebie like this after GTA 5 has sold hundreds of millions of copies and has helped make Take-Two and Rockstar the video game industry juggernauts that they are.
Juggernauts who are currently being accused of union-busting by the IWGB after Rockstar fired 34 employees back in October 2025, all of whom were union members. While Rockstar alleges that those fired workers were responsible for leaking confidential information, the alleged 'confidential information' points back to a private, invite-only and vetted Discord server that employees were using to discuss unionization efforts. The specific information Rockstar is reportedly pointing towards as a 'leak' is employees discussing changes to the studio's Slack policy.
A trial date for the case was recently set, with the whole thing kicking off this coming September 10, 2026. It'll end on October 15, and depending on what happens during the trial, we may see the case get decided days ahead of GTA 6's launch.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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