What happens when you offer one of Rockstar Games’s most popular titles free of charge? Hours of downtime from an influx of rabid users, of course.
Today, the Epic Games Store began offering Grand Theft Auto V at no cost, which resulted in a, well, epic stress test for the platform’s servers. While the website still seems to be down (it’s giving a 403 Forbidden error), the launcher seems to be up and running again for those who have been clicking and refreshing furiously for a chance to snag a free copy of the 2013 open-world hit.
We understand that many users are unable to access the Epic Games Store at this time. We appreciate your patience as we continue to work towards a resolution to mitigate traffic.
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) May 14, 2020
Grand Theft Auto fans have until May 21 at 11:00 AM to get the franchise’s latest installment at no cost. If you don’t have 2FA enabled yet on your Epic Games Store account, you’ll want to go ahead and do that, since you can’t get the title otherwise.
The Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition includes the complete GTAV story, Grand Theft Auto Online and all existing gameplay upgrades and content. You’ll also get the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack, the fastest way to jumpstart your criminal empire in GTA Online.
The Epic Games Store has also launched its “Epic Mega Sale.” From May 14 to June 11, customers can treat themselves to great games that are up to 75 percent off. For an even bigger discount, users can claim an “Epic Coupon” that takes $10 off games or add-ons costing $14.99 or above.