This paid off in a big way in 2021, as some of the biggest and most critically-acclaimed games of the year were Xbox-published titles that were released through Game Pass on day one. This includes the likes ofPsychonauts 2, a platformer that earned widespread acclaim for its storytelling and art, as well asForza Horizon 5, an open world racing game that stands out as the highest-rated new video game release of 2021 period.
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Xbox Game Pass Games for 2022
As it stands, there are only two Xbox-owned games that are confirmed to be coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2022 at the time of this writing, though that number will almost certainly grow in the near future. First up isRedfall, developed by Arkane Studios.Redfallis a co-op game about vampires, and since Arkane is best known for its single-player experiences, it will definitely be interesting to see how it stacks up when it comes to Xbox Game Pass in the summer of 2022.
Not enough ofRedfallhas been shown for fans to truly know what to expect from it, and the same goes for the other Xbox-owned game confirmed for Game Pass in 2022,Starfield. Bethesda is confident that theStarfieldrelease dateof July 30, 2025 will be met, though likeRedfall, not much of the game has been shown off just yet. However, that should change in the months ahead.
Bethesda has not shown anyStarfieldgameplay footage, but it has offered a CGI trailer to set the tone of the story and has shown off plenty of concept art. TheStarfieldconcept arttease an ambitious open world game with varied environments for players to explore, though the jury is still out on whether or not it will enthrall players like some of Bethesda’s previous efforts have managed to do. There have been some bumps in the road, but Bethesda still has a pretty impressive track record and smart money is onStarfieldliving up to the hype.
BesidesRedfallandStarfield, it’s likely that another Bethesda-published, Xbox-owned game will hit Xbox Game Pass in 2022. Nothing official has been announced at the time of this writing, but it’s almost certain that currentPS5 console exclusiveDeathloopwill hit Xbox Game Pass before the year is out as a day one release.
And while there aren’t many Xbox-owned games confirmed for release on Game Pass in 2022 just yet, there are other console exclusives that fans can look forward to next year. For example, co-op shooterThe Anacrusislaunches in early access on January 13 on Xbox Game Pass as an Xbox console exclusive, andfirst-person horror gameScornwill launch in October.
