Xbox Game Pass harvesting is about to begin

I just finished watching the Xbox 2025 Developer Direct presentation, and it looks like Game Pass is strongly positioned for a welcome—and perhaps long overdue—resurgence.

During the hour-long video that premiered earlier today, Microsoft showed off a handful of the studios and games they’re currently cooking up: Team Ninja/PlatinumGames and Ninja Gaiden 4id Software and Doom: The Dark AgesObligatory games and South of midnight (probably my choice of show) and Sandfall Interactive and its surreal RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Additionally, a new remaster was announced, Ninja Gaiden 2 Blackand it’s actually available to play right now on Game Pass. Everyone loves a good shade drop.

Speaking of the rather controversial subscription service, all of the games above are supposed to be on Game Pass day one, and that general ‘day one’ is shockingly crowded for many of these titles. South of midnight is published on April 8, 2025, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 starts soon on April 24th. The latest Punishment the installment comes a month later with a May 15 release. We will not see Ninja Gaiden 4 until the fall of 2025, but including the usual array of unannounced tissues and back catalog gems sure to be added to the service, this spring is going to be a packed one for Xbox fans. Still, boy is it a strange time to be a gamer in the Microsoft camp.

This upcoming barrage of AAA Xbox titles comes at an uncertain time for Series X|S owners. Microsoft’s latest ‘This is an Xbox’ campaign seemingly betrays the company’s huge hardware base in favor of putting Xbox games on anything with a processor and screen, including laptops, tablets, phones, PS5, Switch. and your Aunt Gemma’s clever fridge, for sure. Cloud gaming is great and the future, in my humble opinion, but here’s the grim reality: According to Microsoft’s marketing, you don’t need an Xbox to play these upcoming games. You just need a Game Pass subscription and a somewhat capable Texas Instruments calculator, I’d gather.

It seems the message has been heard loud and clear, as Xbox sales reflect a steadily declining console franchise for virtually all IP heavy hitters moving forward, perhaps including Hello AND Main Collection. It seems we’re fast approaching an era where former Xbox exclusives grace all major platforms, and while I don’t have a problem with that in terms of basic accessibility, it kind of deflates the Xbox hardware bubble and where it does does that leave those of us who have invested heavily in the platform? Who knows.

Perhaps the rumored handheld will eventually provide some much-needed helium value, but I can’t see how or why Microsoft would continue to make its own hardware, even though the next console – according to alleged leaks – is supposedly coming in 2026. Internal rate it it is not in question, however, are all these new games we’ll be getting starting in April. Even earlier, too, with things like that It was accepted in February. The promising line-up could potentially be enough to lure hesitant players – either to or back to Game Pass.

It begs the question: Why is Microsoft releasing so many big games early in the year? It could be Grant Theft Auto 6 effect in action, as no publisher wants their games to be anywhere near that behemoth if it does indeed reach the release window of fall 2025. And who can blame them? If that’s the case, then Fall might look pretty barebones for Xbox as it’s being hidden from Rockstar.

I honestly think (and hope, maybe) that Xbox is finally hitting its stride with Game Pass, and this is the start of a much-needed momentum that could carry us into 2025 and beyond. After all, minus any delay, fairytale is still scheduled to be released by the end of the year, and that could be the big AAA Xbox title this fall. You won’t find me complaining.

Despite the weird hardware and Xbox exclusive purgatory, I believe this is a good warning to gamers in a universal way because A) You will likely and eventually get to play these awesome titles on your platform of choice, B) Xbox owners have a lot to watch in the meantime, and C) such an increase in potentially quality software could increase Game Pass subscriptions, which in turn could lead to more great games that they decorate the service. I want to play more great games, right?

But will this be enough? STAY players on Game Pass? We’ll find out, I guess. Churn is a big issue for these types of subscriptions, and getting people to stick around is a big challenge. Maintaining a steady stream of interesting content feels, at least from the outside, like a monumental task and one that not many companies have mastered.

It will be interesting to see where Xbox and Game Pass go from here, but judging by today’s presentation, I think we have a lot to be excited about. South of midnight AND Clair Obscur are my kind of weird, for sure. Whether or not I’ll play them on the Nintendo Virtual Boy, which is also technically an Xbox, remains to be seen.