Why Is Rockstar Adding NBA 2K26 to GTA+ Temporarily?

• Primary Subject: NBA 2K26 Added to GTA+ Subscription
• Key Update: Full game available March 10 to April 20, 2026
• Status: Confirmed
• Last Verified: March 9, 2026
• Quick Answer: GTA+ subscribers on PS5 and Xbox Series X will receive NBA 2K26

For the first time in GTA+ subscription's history, a game that Rockstar didn't make is joining the GTA+ library. Starting March 10, subscribers on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S can download and play NBA 2K26 at no additional cost. Not a demo. Not a trial. The whole game, complete with a starter pack of in-game goodies to sweeten the deal.

While Rockstar hasn't explicitly said why they're doing this, the reasoning isn't hard to figure out once you remember that both Rockstar and 2K share the same parent company. Take-Two Interactive owns the house, and apparently, the kids are being told to play together.

This is a pretty significant shift for GTA+. Since the subscription landed in 2022, the Games Library portion has been strictly Rockstar territory. GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, Bully, L.A Noire, and Red Dead Redemption. All fantastic games, but all clearly stamped with that Rockstar DNA.

Needless to say, NBA 2K26 is an entirely different animal, and its inclusion opens the door to some interesting questions about where Take-Two wants this subscription to go.

What GTA+ Subscribers Actually Get

Credit: Rockstar Games

Let's break down the offer. From March 10 to April 20, 2026, GTA+ members on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S get full access to NBA 2K26.

That's roughly six weeks with the game, which is enough time to dive into MyCareer, earn some VCs, build a squad in MyTEAM, or just mess around during the time period by playing Eras.

On top of the base game, Rockstar is throwing in a content pack to help newcomers get started:

You'll need an NBA 2K account to redeem the content pack, but all of that's free to set up. What you want the most here, apart from the VC, is the Diamond Player Pack, which gives you a nice head start for anyone jumping into MyTEAM for the first time, since building a competitive squad from scratch can feel like climbing a mountain with no shoes.

One important caveat to note is that this is all temporary access. Once April 20 hits the calendar, NBA 2K26 leaves the library. If you want to keep playing after that, Rockstar is offering GTA+ members a 20% discount on the full purchase.

It's a try-before-you-buy situation, which, honestly, isn't a bad deal considering the base game is priced at $70.

Why Take-Two Is Doing This

Credit: Take-Two Interactive

This is where things get interesting. Rockstar and 2K have existed under the same corporate umbrella for years, but they've always operated like distant relatives who see each other at holidays and nothing else. Rockstar does what Rockstar does, and 2K does its thing. They haven't really crossed paths until now.

This is also the first time that Take-Two has visibly pushed its subsidiaries to collaborate. GTA+ launched in 2022 as a $6/month bonus plan for GTA Online players with perks like free cash, exclusive vehicles, and extra XP. In 2023, it expanded to include a library of classic Rockstar Games. In 2024, the price bumped up to $7.99.

In my opinion, this trajectory is pretty clear. Take-Two wants GTA+ to become more than just a library for Rockstar. I think it's obvious that they're taking the competition to a new level against EA Play, Ubisoft+, and even Xbox Game Pass.

Those services bundle entire publisher catalogs for a monthly fee. Right now, GTA+ doesn't quite do that, but I'm not going to be surprised if more 2K games start showing up in the library. Borderlands, Civilization, and WWE 2K are a slew of competitive franchises that would be very appealing to any player.

So, Is GTA+ Worth It Now?

Credit: Rockstar Games

GTA+ currently costs $7.99 per month. For that, you get:

• Monthly GTA Online bonuses (free vehicles, cash, discounts)
• Access to the Rockstar Games Library (GTA Trilogy, Bully, L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption)
• Now, temporary access to NBA 2K26

If you're already enjoying GTA Online, the subscription price has always been of decent value (great if you haven't played or finished Red Dead Redemption yet). But the addition of NBA 2K26 makes March 2026 one of the better months to be subscribed.

That's a $70 game for the price of an $8 subscription, assuming you can squeeze out enough enjoyment out of it before April 20. Or a cheap way to find out if you're the baller that you think you are, without committing to a full purchase.

A word of warning, NBA 2K26 is currently in Season 5, meaning that a lot of players out there already have maxed out characters, but still, six weeks is still plenty of time to catch up.

For me, the bigger question isn't whether this particular deal is worth it. It's what comes next.

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