Xbox Denies Report It Has Exclusive ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Streaming Rights

Xbox has pushed back on a report claiming Microsoft secured exclusive cloud-streaming rights for Grand Theft Auto VI.

On Monday, The Verge’s Tom Warren reported that Rockstar Games struck an agreement with Microsoft that would make Xbox Cloud Gaming the only service enabled to stream GTA VI when the game launches on November 19.

That would have been particularly significant for PC players. Rockstar still hasn’t announced a native PC version of GTA VI, so Xbox Cloud Gaming could theoretically let PC players play the console version without owning an Xbox Series X|S.

There’s just one problem: Xbox has now claimed the report isn’t entirely accurate. In response to The Verge’s report, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball said that, “While the excitement for GTA VI and XBOX is great to see, it has also led to some misreporting.” Ball continued to state that the company is “looking forward to launching GTA VI on XBOX November 19, though the game will not be streaming exclusively or to PC.”

While the excitement for GTAVI and XBOX is great to see, it has also led to some misreporting. We are looking forward to launching GTAVI on XBOX November 19, though the game will not be streaming exclusively or to PC.

— Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) October 7, 2026

Although the statement was meant to Ball’s response was meant to address the report, it left us with even more questions. Ball offered no additional details on whether GTA VI will be playable in any capacity on Xbox Cloud Gaming. His comment simply addressed that Xbox does not have the “exclusivity” and that the game will not be playable on PC. This, of course, would be off, as Xbox Cloud Gaming players would theoretically be able to play GTA VI across console, mobile, PC, etc., if such a deal were struck.

For now, Rockstar has only confirmed GTA VI for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Cloud streaming would nevertheless fit with Microsoft’s broader strategy. Xbox has been steadily expanding the number of games players can stream across PCs, phones, tablets, TVs and other devices.

Xbox has even been testing free cloud gaming supported by pre-roll advertisements, offering another potential way to access games without purchasing dedicated hardware. Within The Verge‘s report, Warren noted that in order to access GTA VI, players would have to have Xbox Cloud Gaming hours and a copy of GTA VI for Xbox.

Whatever happens with streaming, Microsoft certainly has reason to want GTA VI widely accessible through Xbox. Take-Two previously described pre-orders as “unprecedented”, while Rockstar’s recent GTA VI Extended Look attracted 31.1 million Netflix views in its first four days.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. In Canada, the Standard Edition costs $109.99, while the Ultimate Edition is $139.99.