Epic Games has been teasing a mystery game for its next Epic Games Store free game. This has led to some anticipation building, because Epic traditionally reveals the next free game right away. A new rumor may know why Epic's decided to keep the game a secret, as it claims that the free game will be none other than Grand Theft Auto 5. The free game, whether it's Grand Theft Auto 5 or otherwise, is scheduled to become available Thursday, May 14, at 8:00 am PT.
The rumor comes from gaming outlet Game Pressure, which refers to an anonymous source that it describes as "very well-informed." The source says that tomorrow's free game on the Epic Games Store will be Grand Theft Auto 5. The game will be revealed Thursday morning and will remain available from May 14 through May 21.
It's perhaps notable that Grand Theft Auto 5 is not currently available on the Epic Game Store. That's not a point against the rumor, however. Free games are often titles that are new to the Epic Games Store. Rockstar has also previously established a relationship with Epic for the PC release of Red Dead Redemption 2. RDR2 was initially offered exclusively through the Epic Games Store on PC. A new partnership to offer GTA 5 for free is certainly possible.
Perhaps the least believable part of the rumor is that Rockstar would just give Grand Theft Auto 5 away for free. Even near 7 years old, Grand Theft Auto 5 is selling for a decent price. However, Epic may have made very lucrative offer to Rockstar for the privilege. Rockstar may also be prioritizing getting as many new gamers on Grand Theft Auto Online as possible. Microtransactions are likely just as, if not more, profitable as the game's base value.
With so many gamers at home due to stay-at-home orders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving those gamers access to Grand Theft Auto Online may look like a highly profitable business decision.
Ultimately, the biggest reason why this Grand Theft Auto 5 coming to the Epic Games Store for free isn't likely is that this rumor is completely unreliable. It comes from an anonymous source that isn't said to be a verified insider. It could very easily be a faked leak. Luckily, gamers won't have to wait long to find out the truth. The Epic Games Store's next free game unlocks in less than 24 hours.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Game Pressure