Microsoft’s strategy with the Xbox Series X is built entirely around itsXbox Game Passservice. By offering its first-party titles as day oneXbox Game Passgames, Microsoft has ensured that Xbox Game Pass practically pays for itself and is a must-have subscription for anyone with an Xbox console. 2021 has been an especially impressive year for Xbox Game Pass already, and it’s not even over yet.
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New Xbox Game Pass gamesare typically announced bi-monthly, with Microsoft having a fresh batch of titles available for the first half of the month and another batch in the second half of the month. But sometimes it announces upcoming Xbox Game Pass games way in advance. After all, anytime a new Xbox-published game is announced, it’s also being announced for Game Pass, as all Xbox-published games are confirmed to be coming to the service day one.
Because of its first-party games as well as deals that have been inked with third-party publishers, Microsoft has already set up Xbox Game Pass for a stellar 2022. Here are the biggest games that have been confirmed for an Xbox Game Pass debut next year. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of new Xbox Game Pass games coming in 2022.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
A Plague Tale: Innocencehas earned a dedicated fanbase enthralled by its bleak setting and intense stealth gameplay, so many are naturally excited for the followup. Better yet,A Plague Tale: Requiemis going to be available as a day one Xbox Game Pass gamewhen it launches in 2022, so fans can see what happens next without breaking the bank.
Atomic Heart
Halo Infinite New Content
Party Animals
Party Animalsis, as its name implies, a quirky party game that will drop on Xbox Game Pass next year. Based on what’s been shown ofParty Animalsso far,the game looks like it’s similar toGang Beasts, itself having enjoyed some success on the Xbox Game Pass platform. Hopefully its status as a day one Xbox Game Pass game ensures that many people giveParty Animalsa try, even if it’s not something that they would usually play.
Redfall
The Xbox acquisition of Bethesda has not really shown its value to Xbox fans just yet. Microsoft is honoring Bethesda’s PS5 exclusivity deals, meaning critically-acclaimed games likeDeathloopisn’t even out on Xbox yet, though the next title fromDeathloopdeveloper Arkane will be a day one Game Pass game.Redfallis a co-op shooter about vampires, and while it’s only known about conceptually at this point, fans should be seeing a lot more of the game sooner rather than later. After all,Redfall’s release window is a summer 2022 release, so one can expect a lot more info on it to drop in the months ahead.
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STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl
At Microsoft’s E3 2021 press conference, one of the games that received the biggest spotlight wasSTALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. A rarenext-gen exclusive Xbox game,STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobylis one of the most visually-impressive games in Xbox’s upcoming slate of titles, with gameplay videos showing off an impressive combination of first-person shooter action and survival gameplay.STALKER 2is also notable for being one of the only 2022 Xbox Game Pass games with an actual release date.
Starfield
Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda was done primarily to secure exclusive games for Xbox and Game Pass, and one of the first truly major games that will come as a result of the acquisition is open world space RPGStarfield. Bethesda’s first new IP in decades,Starfieldhas a release date of June 12, 2025, putting it alongsideSTALKER 2: Heart of Chernobylas one of the few Xbox Game Pass games coming next year with actual release dates.
Bethesda showed acinematic trailer forStarfieldat E3 2021that introduced its basic concept, but there’s still a lot left to learn about the game. WithStarfieldalready being positioned as Xbox’s big holiday 2022 game, fans can expect the marketing on it to ramp up in the months ahead, with it likely appearing at big events like Xbox’s E3 event next year. It’s the first single-player Bethesda-developed game since 2015’sFallout 4, so expectations are high, and it will be interesting to see ifStarfieldis able to live up to the legacy of Bethesda’s other beloved titles. If so, then fans may have a new major RPG series on their hands to match up toFalloutandThe Elder Scrolls.
Other Xbox Game Pass Games for 2022
As previously mentioned, the games listed here are not an exhaustive list of all the Xbox Game Pass titles coming in 2022, though there are a handful of others that Microsoft has confirmed for the service next year. On top of these games, though, there’s another likely Xbox Game Pass addition for next year that, while not officially announced, should prove to be a solid addition to the service when it eventually does come.
Thecritically-acclaimedDeathloopis a timed PS5 console exclusivefor a year, meaning it can come to other platforms next September. ConsideringDeathloop’s popularity, one has to imagine that the game will be hitting Xbox consoles and Game Pass as soon as possible, though official plans have not been announced at the time of this writing.
