Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 are currently both titles that make a PlayStation Plus subscription feel like a very good investment. Either one offers enough to occupy several weekends, even before you start getting distracted by everything outside the main story. There is a reason both keep appearing among Rockstar’s best games, years after their original releases.
For subscribers who have been meaning to finish them, however, having both available can encourage a dangerous amount of procrastination. Arthur Morgan will still be waiting for you after you finish something else, and Los Santos is easy enough to return to later. Unfortunately, these two Rockstar favorites are about to come with a deadline.
GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are leaving PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium by November 17. The November list also includes The Talos Principle 2, Cricket 24, and Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break, among other departures. Rockstar’s games are the biggest losses for anyone relying on the subscription to play them, with Red Dead Redemption 2 demanding a substantial amount of time from players who want to see Arthur’s story through. The departure is scheduled for just days before the long-awaited release of GTA 5‘s successor, Grand Theft Auto 6.
Can You Keep Playing ‘GTA 5’ and ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ After They Leave?
Downloading the games before November 17 will not preserve your subscription access. Titles in the Extra and Premium game catalog remain playable through that benefit only while they are included in the service. Once removed, you need a separate license to continue, even if the files are still installed on your console. That makes this a good time to decide whether finishing either campaign before the deadline is realistic. GTA V’s story gives you three protagonists to follow through a sprawling criminal enterprise. Red Dead Redemption 2 takes its time establishing Arthur’s place in the Van der Linde gang, and rushing through it means passing over much of what makes that world worth exploring.
Buying a copy provides a way to continue without turning the next few weeks into a race. Your existing save data can generally carry over to a compatible purchased version, though the edition and region should match. For players invested in Arthur and Dutch’s increasingly fraught relationship, that may be preferable to trying to squeeze the remaining story into a few sessions.
Both games are listed to leave PlayStation Plus by November 17. If either of Rockstar’s open-world favorites has been sitting unfinished in your library, check your regional listing and plan accordingly.
