The first Echo Generation was announced back at an ID@Xbox showcase back in 2020, and I remember reading how Vanessa Chia, Writer & Producer and Co-founder of Cococumber, wanted the game be a reflection of the childhood many players grew up in, with the nostalgia of the era being a theme with that small town vibe that was prevalent in media of the time, such as Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, or The Goonies. Gameplay-wise, with RPG mechanics feeling familiar with a lack of mechanical bloating, you would be amiss to not feel nostalgic for games like Paper Mario or Super Mario RPG.

It was no surprise that Echo Generation continues this nostalgia-ridden trip with Echo Generation 2, giving the player a feeling of chill familiarity, like they are watching a Saturday morning cartoon with a bowl of cereal. What I did find a surprise, however, was how invested I would get into the characters and world the team at Cococumber would create.

You follow the game through the perspectives of two characters to begin with: Sister M & Jack, two completely different characters, sharing the same story without knowing. From the beginning, you can choose where you want to start, which is a nice addition if you think you will favor one over the other, though I find it hard to decide. As with some games with multiple playable characters that feel like a re-hash of each other, the stories are distinct and somehow, tonally different while keeping the same vibe, if that makes sense.

Sister M begins her story escaping the research facility she and the other children have been raised in and experimented on. Where are all your friends, and who is ‘The Commander?’

Jack’s story begins with him and his family having a weekend away in a cabin when there’s an explosion at Jack’s workplace, a local science facility. Jack then has to get his family home to safety before being called back into work to help save the day.

Is it the same facility? You’ll have to play the game yourself, but I played the first 3 chapters for this preview and also had the option to play two others, each chapter with a brand new character: Annata Z, a zombie who awakens with no memories other than that she’s missing her daughter, and Nolivia, a bounty hunter from the future.

The art style of the game follows on from the first being retro pixel art 3d extravaganza for your eyes, with each screen you enter being just as beautiful as the last. Within Jacks chapter, the game opens with a shot of a sunset across a lake but the one I keep coming back to is the guest bedroom.

With how the light shines through the window on either side of the bed, the cleanliness of the room which allows the greens and reds around the room to be highlighted, adding a greater level of 3d space to the already 3d pixel art. I don’t think I can think of a screen I entered that I thought was a let-down.

The game’s gameplay is a simple nostalgic take on a turn-based RPG battle system, where the good guys and the bad guys politely take turns in trying to beat the other to a pulp, one move at a time.

The difference this time around, though, is the reworked battle system, which works on a card-collecting system, where throughout the world, glowing trading cards will be hidden for the player to find, each giving you a new attack, defense, or support card to add to your arsenal. Each belongs to a certain type of card, either diamond, spade, or heart. Each enemy will have a stance bar above their health; using cards with matching symbols will eradicate their stance bar, making your subsequent attacks do more damage.

A choice that Cococumber made to distinguish the two stories is to put Sister M as a solo character who battles to escape the oppression of her overlords, and Jack as the typical dad who teams up with his babies to fight with knives and axes. It’s a great way to keep the player engaged with your gameplay as you change your tactics from being allowed one or two attacks per turn to 3-6.

​Echo Generations 2 is short and sweet, with a completion time of around 9 hours if you want to see all the game has to offer, giving you a great bite sized game to pick up and play before you tackle your next mammoth of an RPG, or if you do want a trip down memory lane and play a game that feels like it could have been a console from your childhood.

Echo Generations 2 is available right now on Xbox Series X| S, Xbox on PC, Xbox One, Steam, and compatible handhelds. The game is also a part of your Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription and features support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and the Xbox Play Anywhere program, making it the perfect game to play when you get 5 minutes, wherever you are.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

In a level of transparency we rarely see, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball, who only joined the company relatively recently, revealed the impact of Xbox's controversial 50% Game Pass price increase during an interview with The Game Business' Chris Dring.

I'm sure Xbox fans are all familiar with the topic by now. Nevertheless, last year, Game Pass Ultimate jumped to $29.99 per month, with the inclusion of Call of Duty helping to justify the higher price point. As many now know, that approach wasn't sustainable.

One of Asha Sharma's first major moves as Xbox CEO was to reduce the cost of Game Pass Ultimate to $22.99 per month. The lower price did come with a notable compromise, though, as new Call of Duty releases were removed from the service's day-one lineup and instead arrive a year after launch.

While speaking with Dring, Ball revealed that Xbox lost "millions of subscribers" following the Game Pass price hike, which I'm sure was a devastating blow for the company at the time.

Fortunately for Xbox fans, that price point didn't last long. However, the current price is still higher than it was before the increase, even if it now includes additional perks such as Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics.

Personally, as someone who doesn't play Fortnite, I find it frustrating to be pushed into a higher-priced tier for benefits I neither use nor care about. I'd still love to see Xbox introduce a more customizable version of Game Pass, allowing subscribers to mix and match the features they actually want, rather than paying for a bundle that may include services they'll never touch.

It is, however, refreshing to see just how open and honest Xbox is right now. With exclusives back on the menu, the future of Xbox feels far more exciting than the complacent version of the company we'd grown used to seeing, at least that's how I feel about it.

With that said, let me know your thoughts on Ball's quote in the comments below, and be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

For those unaware, Escape the Backrooms is based on the hugely viral “Backrooms” creepypasta, centered around a seemingly never-ending maze of empty rooms and unsettling spaces. Over the years, the concept evolved into a full internet horror phenomenon, which eventually inspired the Escape the Backrooms game itself.

The game is a four-player co-op horror experience with proximity chat and a strong focus on psychological horror. Players need to work together to navigate creepy environments, solve puzzles, and avoid the various monsters throughout the Backrooms.

Believe it or not, the Backrooms concept has become so popular that it even spawned its own movie, which released to fairly solid reviews. Now, I personally do not deal well with horror games or horror in general, so I don’t think I’ll be risking my sanity with this one, but it’s still great to see a random shadow drop hit the Game Pass PC, Ultimate, and Premium tiers. It’s also an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

Other recent additions to Game Pass include Kabuto Park, a rather cute bug-collecting game, alongside Crashout Crew. There was also Echo Generation 2, a sci-fi deck-building RPG. That one is much more up my alley, especially since I’ve been sinking my teeth into Slay the Spire 2 whenever I get the chance.

Since its recent price decrease following changes introduced by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Game Pass has suddenly become a lot more appealing to me again. It went from being a service I was almost certain I’d cut from my growing list of subscriptions to one I’m actually quite happy to keep around.

While horror games definitely aren’t for me, I still think it’s exciting that more titles could end up being shadow dropped into the service like this, as it adds more value. That’s just how I feel, though, so let me know your thoughts in the comments, whether you’ll be checking out Escape the Backrooms or not, and as always, be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I’ve been neck-deep in Warhammer games these past few years, bouncing between Darktide, Space Marine 2, and Rogue Trader like an Ogre Mawtribe at a buffet. The Warhammer crowd? We’re feasting. It’s gotten so wild, we’re pulling numbers that would make even Star Wars fans do a double-take.

With all these bangers dropping, you’d think I’d be riding high, but the first time I caught wind of Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, my hype train hit the brakes. Every time a franchise tries to shoehorn itself into a kart racer, I get flashbacks to those awkward crossovers nobody asked for.

Turns out, I was dead wrong. Speed Freeks isn’t some cutesy kart racer; it’s like Twisted Metal got hijacked by a mob of Orks on a sugar rush.

Within minutes of booting up the game, I was neck-deep in pure, unfiltered chaos. Orks were lighting up the battlefield with miniguns, rockets, charged electro-shots, and predator-like guided missiles. I was so incredibly wrong about this being a kart racer; it went up in smoke.

Look, I went into the preview for this game as a card-carrying Warhammer addict, but I barely skimmed the surface. So you can picture my jaw hitting the floor when I got dropped straight into an open world. Not a linear race track.

Here’s the deal: you control some sort of Ork vehicles, from normal four-wheeled Mad Max-looking psycho carriages to tanks and even helicopters. Each comes fitted with some sort of primary and secondary weapon, with some sort of boost or other ability that either mends friends, harms enemies, or allows you to stay alive a bit longer.

I started off with the basic vehicle, a nice grimmy Boomdakka Snazzwagon. This little open-top convertible splashes the enemy two-fold. Through primary fire of a Dakka minigun, and secondary fire with actual fire via a “burna bottle”. Can I just say I absolutely love the Ork language in Warhammer?

You’re locked from most other vehicles, but don’t worry, these all unlock rather quickly. Before I could even really figure out what one vehicle was decent at, I had another on my selectable list of vehicles taunting me to be tested. And test I did.

With these vehicles, players can pick from two standard game modes. One focuses on pushing a large Stompa across the world map, where each team attempts to get their Stompa to the end first. Teams can attempt to gather respawning bombs on the map that can be “hand-delivered” to the enemy's team Stompa to slow their progression. Kills also slow progression, but in much smaller increments than a bomb delivery.

Before I get to the second main game mode, I need a moment to pause. In an age where gamers are paying anywhere from $60 to $80 for new games, or even $100 if the people at Take-Two had their way, Caged Element and Wired Productions are out here doing the impossible.

For the same price as a double meal combo at McDonald's (actually, it’s way less), you can get Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks for $19.99. Not only is that an insane price in and of itself, but they didn’t even raise it to $25 like most would. Heck, it seems the standard pricing these days for smaller titles is now $30 to $40, but Wired Productions (the publisher) is out here dropping dimes on us for the price of two large lattes.

Second is the “Deff Rally” game mode, which puts two teams against one another in more of a race setting. Beacons will spawn on the map that each team can race to and claim first. From there, roughly 30 seconds later, a race will begin with a dozen or more checkpoints for players to reach.

The first player across the line scores a good amount of points for their team, with the top five players all obtaining points with values relative to the place they take. Again, killing enemy players also tallies the scoreboard for your team.

Both modes run on 8v8 chaos, which might sound tiny next to the online behemoths like Battlefield 6, but trust me, when it comes to vehicular carnage, 16 is the magic number. Any more and I’d probably just glue myself inside a tank and pray.

Each mode is different enough that I was having quite a lot of fun switching between the two before I noticed a full-blown community map creator that players can call up. I came across giant, physically-bending metal monstrocities, lore-accurate landscapes, and a recreation of the greatest Counter-Strike map ever created, Dust 2.

You can jump into all of these wild creations in public lobbies, most of which are straight-up rally races from start to finish. So yeah, I guess there’s a little kart racing DNA hiding in there after all. But even when you’ve finally played out of the main maps, there are still four free battle passes waiting to be conquered.

Yes, the game also comes with its own variation of free Battle Passes called Waaagh Path! Each has anywhere from 70 to 100 levels to complete, offering various cosmetics for your vehicles. Players earn levels for their selected Waaagh Path by earning scrap from completing both public and private matches.

Needless to say, for $20, I can't believe the amount of game that comes packed in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks. I think I just found my Saturday night buddy game for the next month.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

If you bought Valve's new $99 Steam Controller as I did, you might have noticed that it doesn't function as expected outside the Steam app. It isn't completely useless, as the controller falls back into a "lizard mode" that lets you navigate your Windows desktop with basic controls.

Still, games launched from the Xbox app on PC or other third-party launchers won't detect any compatible controller and assume you're still using a mouse and keyboard.

A few workarounds are circulating in the PC gaming community via third-party software, and as you might expect, none of them are officially approved by Valve or Microsoft. SISR (Steam Input System Redirector) and SteamlessController are both fan-made, open-source projects hosted on GitHub, and the latter works without needing Steam open in the background.

In turn, each of these apps depends on code from other GitHub-hosted software, like VIIPER (Virtual Input over IP EmulatoR) for SISR and ViGEmBus for SteamlessController.

If you aren't a particularly confident Windows user, potentially picking up Valve's new Steam Controller to simplify PC gaming into something more akin to a homemade Steam Machine "console", then this may already seem like too much hard work — or risky, if any of these apps are "vibe-coded" with the help of AI, noting that SteamlessController lists Anthropic's Claude as a contributor.

What about SDL support for the Steam Controller?

Thankfully, there has been some movement towards supporting the Steam Controller outside of the Steam app, as the SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) library now supports the controller's "touchpads, capacitive touch for sticks, and grip sense handling" (via Phoronix).

In theory, that means certain games will begin to recognize the Steam Controller as a fully-functional joypad when you play them on PC. You might not see SDL support across every AAA title, but it's a major step towards controller functionality on Windows when importing non-Steam games.

Testing the current functionality myself by adding the popular Subnautica 2 as a non-Steam game (or rather the GameLaunchHelper.exe file) confirms my suspicion: Steam Input doesn't activate, and the Steam Controller is still detected as a mouse and keyboard. While I can bind its detected mouse clicks and other inputs in the game, it won't support the controller's full feature set.

So, is the Steam Controller worth buying?

I spent my own money on Valve's revised Steam Controller, but my experience is far from unique. This issue with the Xbox PC app and Game Pass games has been known since the embargo lifted on sample units, but it's always better to go hands-on with a retail model and see what the experience is like for paying customers. I'm testing some of these trending concerns with my own unit, and will publish my take on its value soon enough.

For now, I'm not willing to download a third-party input translation layer just to play games from my Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Whether the blame lies with Microsoft and its UWP app approach to games on the Xbox app or with Valve and its lack of Xinput support on the Steam Controller is a debate for another time, but I don't want another app in my system tray to solve the issue. I'll keep you updated if the situation changes, and if I have any luck with the Steam desktop app and its default setup.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

When I first saw REPLACED, I was immediately struck by the colors and overall design aesthetic that the developer, Sad Cat Studios, had put into it. While it’s popular to Reach (that pun will make sense later) for good ole’ 80’s nostalgia, I was caught by the Blade Runner fashion being shoved into my eyes.

Those dashing cyber punk feels mixed with the mind-altering story of replacement have REPLACED at the top of my recommendation list for smaller titles.

You’re Warren Marsh, a long-time scientist working for the Phoenix Corporation. At least, you are during the game’s introduction, but not much longer than that, as everything quickly goes haywire.

In moments, a catastrophic accident involving the AI created by Warren, R.E.A.C.H. (Research Engine for Altering and Composing Humans), ends up leaving Reach trapped inside the body of Warren. Realizing the situation, Reach, having seemingly replaced Warren, takes the reins and heads to find the nearest help.

Caught in a nightmare situation, Reach is forced to run from the facility and outside the walls of Phoenix City, the Phoenix Corporation's long-standing fortress of humanity, located in the middle of the wastes of America. Once out, Reach continues to attempt communication with Warren, telling him he’ll do everything he can to rectify the situation and swap back.

Along the way, you’ll uncover the horrifying secrets of the Phoenix Corporation and glimpse through the memories of Warren as Reach’s connection to his body strengthens. Will Reach find a way to repair the link and return Warren's body to him?

You’ll also come across help in the wasteland, giving a glimpse into the remaining humanity of civilization outside of the meghacity. Tempest, a do-gooder who helps those in need, quickly comes upon you battling the enemies of the area, bringing you back to a town of humans not far away.

There, the art style really starts to unfold, as you venture underground into the subway system to find a mixture of eerily-lit corridors and enemy-riddled sanctuaries.

I’m not someone who generally appreciates pixel art styles in video games. Over time, the trend grew to an absurd number of games that the concept became an instant no-buy from me. Exceptions to this rule are few and far between, but Replaced is now one of them.

Not only has it overruled a long-standing idea of mine, but it has also become one of the best-looking games to have launched in 2026. REPLACED is unparalleled in its appreciation of detail, lighting, and color palette as it explores the ugly realities of humanity.

I found myself taking long pauses in the middle of my trek to admire minute touches of style in the world. The not-so-subtle drenching of light shining across a warehouse corridor, the relish of waste on the roadside, all of which culminate in something jaw-dropping, I haven’t felt from a Pixel-art style game before.

REPLACED is a 2.5D game, where the majority of its systems exist on a two-dimensional plane, with some of the mechanics allowing traversal into the background or foreground of the level. Movement feels weighty and meaningful as you go about the world’s hazardous design.

Be it running from the police or hiding behind the moving, disguised cover from a sniper, REPLACED will keep you on your toes as you go about the daring task of attempting to stay alive. Even the environment will attempt murder as you go through dilapidated structures to find your objective, or get back to safety.

Combat is simplistic, but in the best ways. With a standard attack, dodge, and parry to start, you’ll feel right at home with the mechanics of REPLACED. A hard hit to the noggin or body of an enemy is therapeutic in its delivery, with a sense of satisfaction that’s only interrupted if you let yourself get hit.

Similar in style to the Batman Arkham games, Replaced keeps pace with rhythmic timing from enemy to enemy. Interupting that rhythm doesn’t spell doom, but you’ll definitely feel the atmospheric shift in favor of the enemy the longer you fail to regain that tempo.

During my time so far with REPLACED, I’ve found myself doubling back on fights so I could play through it again without error. I wasn’t satisfied unless I finished without minimal or a near-zero number of blows to myself. The dance of combat called to me for perfection.

One of my favorite things came a few chapters in, when your character finally gains access to your gun’s ability to shoot. Yes, that does sound a little odd, but remember what I said at the beginning of this whole thing about Reach finding a “broken” gun.

This allowed the greatest pixel-art finishers with a flair of Blade Runner that I’d ever seen. My only complaint is that I wish there were more! With only a select number of finishers that Reach deals out, I felt robbed of everything that could have been!

After my initial few hours of playing, I hadn’t even noticed the passage of time. I was too wound up in taking clips or looking for the perfect screenshot to capture.

The world was a lovely thing to witness, and witness I did, as I plodded through the terrain before me to find a potential answer or solution to the problems of Warren and R.E.A.C.H.

Did I find the answers? Well, that’s for you to find out, but for only $20, I can say that without a shadow of a doubt that REPLACED is absolutely worth the asking price and deserves to be picked up by sci-fi fans everywhere.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Xbox Game Pass is always a hot topic. You either love it, hate it, or maybe you’re even jealous of it(?) I quite like it, although perhaps I’ve been brainwashed by services like Spotify and Netflix into not owning my content anymore. I joke. Kind of.

Anyway, Game Pass is good, and I still buy games if I enjoy them enough. As someone who is technically Gen Z (by a fraction of a hair), I suppose I have at least a little authority to talk about this newly conducted study claiming “62% of whom no longer purchase full price games,” and frankly, I’m not surprised.

For those unaware (as was I), Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2012. But, before I dive into why I’m not surprised by the stats, let me first break down the study published by IGN and Dentsu: “Generations in Play: 2026 Audience Insights Report.”

While the report surveyed multiple generations, it did focus on younger audiences and how Gen Z in particular engages with entertainment, subscriptions, and gaming habits. One of the biggest findings claims that 62% of respondents no longer purchase full-price games, with audiences increasingly shifting away from ownership and instead rotating through whatever they’re currently playing.

Alongside this, the report describes subscription services as more of a “discovery engine,” with younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, appearing far more comfortable with the idea of subscription-based entertainment compared to older generations such as Gen X.

The report repeatedly frames Gen Z as a generation built around algorithms, feeds, instant discovery, and rotating through content rather than permanently owning it, something I'm guilty of myself.

And when I think more about it, it’s no wonder Gen Z is gravitating more toward subscription services. Everything is getting more expensive, and sometimes it genuinely feels like a deliberate attempt to bleed our wallets dry and keep us living paycheck to paycheck.

Still, services like Game Pass fit neatly into what younger audiences already know from platforms like Spotify and Netflix, both of which are built around streaming content rather than actually owning it. Whether people like it or not, that’s clearly become a practice that younger generations, and even older ones too, are getting increasingly comfortable with.

Back to gaming, though, and I'm constantly hearing fears that games will jump to $80 with Grand Theft Auto 6 potentially setting a dangerous standard. Even now, $70 already feels excessive for certain titles, especially when there’s no guarantee you’ll actually enjoy what you bought.

Fortunately, indie games are often the exception here. They’re usually cheaper, easier to take a chance on, and regularly explode in popularity thanks to content creators, livestreams, and short-form content across platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

Now, with all of this said, it does beg the question: Is Xbox Game Pass actually the answer? We know the service exists in this strange space alongside other subscription platforms, yet it has struggled to fully catch on and meet the expectations Microsoft originally had for it.

People often say it’s too late for Xbox, but honestly, I don’t think it is. Xbox has an uphill battle for sure, but recent leadership changes, and Asha Sharma taking over as CEO, have certainly shifted perception around the brand online; however, her uphill battle with Microsoft will be the real test.

The report itself even states that “Subscriptions are no longer expressions of loyalty,” highlighting how audiences frequently subscribe and unsubscribe from services like Netflix purely for a single show. Realistically, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine people eventually treating Game Pass the exact same way, as I imagine some already do.

If Xbox can consistently provide enough value, whether through major first-party launches, indie discovery, or benefits of some kind, then maybe Microsoft was early to an industry shift that the rest is only now beginning to fully understand.

I may or may not sound like I’m waffling a little here, but it’s all to drive one point home: Xbox has spent years building Game Pass around a shift in consumer behavior that is only now becoming increasingly more obvious.

So, is Game Pass the answer? Honestly, I think it is for many people. Is it the answer for everyone? No, of course not. Nothing ever is.

But if audiences are becoming more comfortable with subscriptions, rotating through content instead of owning it, and avoiding increasingly expensive upfront purchases, then maybe Microsoft wasn’t completely wrong after all. Maybe Xbox really was just early.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Valve has finally officially revealed its new Steam Controller, putting an end to the past week of leaks. But while the announcement confirms much of what we already knew, not everyone is sold, especially when it comes to the $99 price (be sure to vote in the poll below and let me know where you land on it).

In the meantime, for many of my colleagues and me, the controller has a much bigger problem.

Price isn't the issue, but compatibility is.

At first glance, the price doesn't seem unreasonable, given the haptic feedback and mousepad abilities. Additionally, you should get some longevity out of this, with Valve confirming that parts will be available through iFixit (via PC Gamer). However, once you start comparing it to other controllers, the concerns become a little easier to understand, at least if you play PC games outside of Steam's platform.

For PC Game Pass users, you’re out of luck. Valve’s Steam Controller reportedly only officially works with devices running Steam. That limitation is already proving to be a dealbreaker for some. As my colleague Richard Devine puts it, “this definitely kills it for me.”

Currently, Valve’s Steam Controller, like its predecessor, lacks standard drivers for Windows, Linux, and Mac, meaning you have to rely on Steam itself to actually use the controller. This isn't something you have to consider when purchasing other third-party (and cheaper) controllers.

With the original Steam Controller at least, the community stepped in and worked around this, creating tools that let it function properly across your entire PC rather than being locked to Steam.

For a controller that costs $99, though, you’d expect that level of flexibility out of the box.

It’s also worth noting that, in testing from PCMag, they do say this is more of a Microsoft-side issue than Valve’s, and users have pointed out that tools like SISR could help resolve it.

Being a big fan of PC Game Pass and someone who was genuinely interested in Valve's second go at a controller, this creates an immediate problem, despite the aforementioned community-created tools that fix it. Do I want to rely on workarounds for a $99 device?

For me, my Xbox Elite Series Controller is quite literally disintegrating more and more after every use, and after nearly a decade of play, I'm not surprised. Due to this, I am actively looking for a replacement, and that replacement could be a $99 Steam Controller, or it very well could not.

Why is Valve releasing the controller without the Steam Machine?

The compatibility issue wouldn't be as big a deal if this were releasing alongside the Steam Machine, you know, the device marketed to work with this controller.

However, due to the massive global shortage of high-end memory and storage modules — gobbled up by the insatiable demand for AI data centers, Valve has been forced to push the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset back into late 2026.

As Valve's hardware engineer pointed out during an interview, “this doesn’t have RAM in it, and it’s not as complicated to start getting out the door for us.”

Since the controller doesn't rely on those scarce components, Valve is moving ahead with a standalone release, leaving the rest of its hardware ecosystem in production limbo for now. Valve is still aiming for a 2026 release, but no date has been announced yet... and we wait with bated breath on what the price will be, given the RAM pressures.

An alternative, and cheaper controller for PC Game Pass players

If you’ll indulge me for a second, I'd like to turn to another controller on the market, the GameSir G7 Pro 8K.

It offers a useful point of comparison. It doesn’t have trackpads like the Steam Controller, which, unfortunately, is Valve's killer feature, but it does have an 8,000Hz polling rate. This is significantly higher than the Steam Controller’s rated 250Hz and is worth taking into consideration. If you shop at Best Buy, the Gamesir G7 Pro 8K is actually cheaper than the release price of the Steam Controller.

Now, I know higher polling rates don’t always translate directly into smoother gameplay, and they can sometimes be more marketing than meaningful improvement. Still, when you look at early impressions of the Steam Controller, there’s a consistent theme that for FPS games, it’s just okay at best, and for some players, that might not be enough, and I think for who this controller targets, that’s okay.

Over on our r/WindowsCentral subreddit, people had a lot to say about the Steam Controller. One user suggested people just “connect your current PC to your TV with an HDMI cable and use an Xbox controller via Bluetooth for half the price,” which is a fair point given the $99 cost.

That said, not everyone agrees; value is in the eye of the beholder, of course, and what's worth spending $99 on from one gamer to the next will differ wildly. Polling rates and other technical specs aside, everyone wants value for their money. If you play primarily on Steam anyway, this controller will probably be a day-one purchase. I just wish those of us on other launchers could join in!

For me at least, it comes down to compatibility. The Steam Controller is built for PC primarily, and most PC gamers do use Steam. While it does support Bluetooth, that doesn’t help if you want to use it on an Xbox either. Though that part isn't Valve's problem to fix.

As Xbox continues its effort to integrate into PC gaming with Project Helix, I’d love to see more openness around controller support on consoles, but realistically, we could be waiting a long time for these developments. Recently, Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO, has expressed her own concerns around RAM shortages impacting the rollout of the next-generation console. A console we are hoping breaks down the PC/Console boundaries.

The Steam Controller doesn’t have to be everything to everyone; it just needs to be enough for most of us at that $99 price point. On paper, it’s almost there. But after looking into the reviews, I just can’t justify it for my purposes. Especially knowing the potential headache with my Game Pass library. It’s a pass from me (pun intended) for now, and I suspect a lot of other Game Pass players will feel the same.

What about you? Am I being too harsh here, or is the lack of native Windows support a total non-starter? Hit the comments and don’t forget to weigh in on the poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire drops you page first into the wildly drawn world of Mouseburg. A 1930s-style detective flick meets old-school artistry. You play as Jack Peper, a grumbly ex-cop and war veteran turned private investigator.

The whole city is infested with rodent-driven crime, full of shady deals, cheese-smuggling, and corrupt politicians. Straight from the comics, Jack is on a crime-solving spree to clean up his town and bring peace to his neighborhood, which is nestled quietly in the slums.

Pepper’s adventure launches with a fairly standard missing persons case; a magician has gone missing. Chaos ensues, and nothing gouda comes of it. As gang violence, kidnapping, and the fat-rodent herself come singing, Jack faces down an over-the-top cartoon noir story.

If you’re into one-liners, video-game meta jokes, and cheesy puns, then you’d cheddar believe you’re in for a grate time.

Gameplay-wise, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a slick showcase of fundamental linear shooting mechanics. While you’ll never find yourself aiming down the sights of a weapon, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better rotation of weapons for a game that feels like a steal at $30.

Combat feels brie-lliant, and nothing demonstrates that better than the weapons of Mouseburg. From simple pistols to face-to-cheese-melting-goo guns, you’ll have an entire arsenal of weapons that each come with their own unique secondary firing mechanic and upgrade path. All of which can be upgraded thanks to careful exploration of the rather open-linear levels.

There are so many guns that when it comes down to the holey-mess of combat, you’ll be bleu in the face trying to keep your options straight. On PC and controller, you can call up the “cheese” wheel of weapons to swap between. With a hot-swap button dedicated to switching between your current and last gun.

On PC, you’ll be able to swap using the number keys, or if you’re like me, an MMO mouse with 12 buttons. Once you get the swing of swapping, you’ll be pumping enemies full of swiss-like holes in style.

Even the bosses are fun, all with unique abilities that will push your gamer skills to their limits. Platforming, dodging, and other mechanical nuance-based bosses will keep every encounter fresh. Many of which will look stunningly different, even in black and white.

Every area Jack Pepper visits is unlocked through simply playing the story. Not only are most areas unique, but they can also be visited more than once. Miss an item, and you can always come back to play through the area again, unlocking extra upgrade materials or even clues you might have missed that can help solve cases.

There are tons of things to love when it comes to this game, but the artwork is its gratest asset. Strikingly gorgeous even with the absence of color.

You can choose your own style, so to speak, by tweaking both picture and volume settings to give MOUSE: P.I. For Hire a more modern or old-fashioned look. Regardless of what something looks like or how it sounds, you’ll always find yourself back in the office working a case.

Back home, Jack Pepper has a giant clue board to place all the found clues and attach them to the mystery they’re involved in. If Jack doesn’t know how the clue relates to any given case, he’ll save them for later use by placing them in their own area.

As I eluded to earlier, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire rewards players who take an extra moment to look around rather than pressing forward to the next cheese-shredding area full of enemies. A wall here, a switch there, or an extra-special look over at a somewhat dubious-looking platform could lead you to precious materials that will help increase your damage output against the mold of Mouseburg.

Along with weapons, combat, and story, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire wouldn’t be the terrific noir-driven story without its stellar voice acting. While I can’t say every character is on equal footing with others, for the most part, every voice feels distinct and incredibly well played.

For $30, I would have expected the entire game to have been text-driven, but I couldn’t imagine playing this game without the fully voiced cast. This game wouldn't be the same without it, and I couldn’t be happier that it exists.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire isn’t trying to be the next big AAA blockbuster. It’s a charming, clever, atmospheric detective game that respects your intelligence and rewards creativity. With a decently long story, I can’t believe how relatively cheap it is. In a world of $70 games, $30 titles with this much content will always get a nod of approval from me.

If you’re tired of basic shooters, open-world sandboxes, or yet another fantasy tale, do yourself a favor and give this one a shot. It might be the biggest surprise title this year!

I went in looking for that all-too-obvious charm, and came out with an even greater admiration for the craft. The depth of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire has so far surpassed my expectations, and I can’t wait to dive into it even more.

Allow me to appeal to your cheddar judgment and say, play it! You won’t be disappointed!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I’ve previously covered Xbox’s latest backend updates, thanks to @redphx on X, who tracks them through Microsoft’s public-facing backend. Through this, we’ve had early insight into a new project called "TRITON". Based on redphx’s findings, TRITON appears to be a Game Pass tier focused on first-party Xbox games. That includes titles like Doom, Halo, Hellblade, State of Decay, and more.

Not long after, another codename surfaced alongside TRITON, called "Duet". At the time, redphx suggested this could hint at some form of Netflix integration, something Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters have reportedly discussed.

Now, in a new update tied to TRITON and Duet, redphx has uncovered references suggesting users could be limited by a monthly time allowance for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Limiting playtime isn’t unheard of in the cloud gaming space. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, for example, caps users at around 100 hours of playtime on its highest tier, which costs $19.99.

That said, Xbox currently has no tier with any limits on cloud playtime, so this would be quite a shift in strategy. It does also align with Asha Sharma’s recent comments suggesting she wants to make Game Pass more affordable, after stating the service may be too expensive.

Windows Central's take: Ultimate is still king

For now, at least as far as I can tell, this cloud playtime limit is tied specifically to TRITON and Duet. At this stage, we can only speculate on pricing and what these tiers might actually include. For me, if it included all first-party Xbox games and Netflix, I could see myself paying around $12.99 at most, especially since it'll likely just be Netflix’s ad-based tier. That said, I have no plans to drop my Ultimate subscription anytime soon.

Part of that comes down to game sharing with my Dad, who, for whatever reason, still plays the yearly Call of Duty releases. Interestingly, though, rumors are also swirling that Call of Duty could be making its exit from Game Pass, as Jez Corden explained on the XB2 Podcast.

Are TRITON and Duet starting to sound more interesting as we learn more, or are you not interested at all? Let me know in the comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Thanks to reporting from GameDeveloper.com, we know what Guy Richards, Global Director of ID@Xbox, said during a panel at the London Games Festival titled Cracking the Discovery Code.

The panel featured guests including Cassia Curran, Emily Britt, Rob Hewson, and Guy Richards.

While I was not there in person, as mentioned, GameDeveloper.com attended the panel and reported on what was said and well Richards had some notable comments about the impact Xbox Game Pass has on games.

According to Guy Richards, Xbox Game Pass acts as a growth driver for games. It boosts visibility and gives titles access to millions of players who might not otherwise engage with them. He explained:

“One of the great benefits of launching into Game Pass on day one is the discovery that comes with it. There's millions of players that will be able to play that game from when it launches, and that can really create a viral, snowball effect moment around your launch.”

Richards went on to say that this effect is not limited to Xbox alone. He believes the added visibility carries over to other platforms as well:

It is one thing to highlight discovery benefits, but there are still questions around long-term value. As GameDeveloper.com mentions, last year’s price increase remains a point of contention. More recent reporting also suggests Asha Sharma believes the service has become too expensive, which could lead to changes.

Xbox has been on a more positive run lately, with long-requested features finally rolling out, and Xbox openly asking for feedback. From a community perspective, sentiment appears to be improving, and overall momentum is trending in a better direction.

It's also no secret that Xbox Game Pass is a success, at least based on what we currently know, even with last years price increase.

That said, it is interesting to see Richard's take on the service, especially knowing what he thinks about its impact beyond just Xbox and Game Pass itself.

With that in mind, do you agree with Richards, or does this feel like a stretch? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Early last year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was named "the perfect RPG sequel" in our review and praised for its "near-flawless" performance on PC. Already available for traditional gaming PCs running x86-64 processors from AMD and Intel, the game has since received an ARM64 build via Steam that's compatible with Windows on ARM devices.

Qualcomm's recent Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme processors are part of the latest expansion in the relatively niche device category, delivering a boost to power efficiency alongside a general performance leap in brand-new PCs like the "practically perfect" ASUS Zenbook A16. However, PC gaming on Snapdragon X is still marred by platform distribution problems.

Patch 1.5.3 for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is described as "a purely technical architecture update" that makes a native ARM64 build available to users with compatible hardware and Steam installed. However, players subscribed to Xbox Game Pass are currently unable to access the new build on PC, which still runs on Microsoft's Prism translation layer.

Windows Central's take: Another example of PC Game Pass disparity

Patch release gaps between Steam and Xbox PC aren't a particularly new annoyance, but they still feel like one that shouldn't happen to begin with. Some blame Microsoft's patch submission and analysis process, while others point fingers at the developers.

Realistically, it feels like the former would be the most likely roadblock if the ARM64 build is already out there. ASUS was already demonstrating Kingdom Come: Deliverance II performance in press previews for its MacBook Air-beating Zenbook A16 laptop, presumably with an early look at the native build.

I've maintained a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for years now, happily enjoying the cross-platform benefits across Microsoft's consoles and my PCs. Still, the number of games that natively support Windows on ARM is already small, and arbitrary delays don't help raise awareness of its benefits.

Still, the number of bugs and issues unique to its Xbox PC app is growing tiresome, and I'd like to see more proactive efforts to match Steam's methods to distribute game patches from developers. We've reached out to the game's publisher, Deep Silver, and Microsoft for comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Absolum is the roguelite beat ’em up I didn’t know I needed. It takes the arcade brawler DNA of your favorite beat 'em up, pours in Hades-style run-based progression, and wraps it all in hand-drawn fantasy art so gorgeous it feels like a living storybook. And right now it’s sitting in your Xbox Game Pass library, ready for anyone who wants to punch fate in the face.

The setup is pure Saturday-morning-cartoon rebellion with an early 90’s flash. In the world of Talamh, the Sun King Azra used the mistrust of magic by commoners to outlaw magic and brandish Wizards as heretics. These Wizards find themselves to be enemies of the state as you work your way through burning villages of goblins and men, both fighting amongst themselves, and equally looking to kill you.

Four heroes are yours to command: Galandra, Karl, Cider, or Brome. Each will grant you a unique ability to fight your way through hand-drawn stages. Death is only the beginning, as dying means coming back stronger, and slowly investigating the truth behind the Crimson Order and Azra’s allies.

Combat is pure joy. Dashing behind enemies for perfectly timed back-stabs, parrying deathly blows, or placing a barrage of mana onto enemies with standard abilities and ultimates; whatever you're doing, the violence feels intentional. You won’t be blistering through foes unguarded, but the well-timed, methodical rhythm of your blades will serve up death all the same.

While upgrades along your path can lead to similar play-styles across combatants, every character plays differently. I quickly fell in love with Galandra, her colossal blade cleaves groups while her chilling necromantic powers drain life and raise spectral allies. Switch to Karl, and you’re a non-foul-mouthed dwarf, smashing with an enchanted weapon that dashes between a hammer and a blunderbuss. Cider’s my current main, an agile, high-flailing robotic-armed surgeon of destruction that can fly above combat as easily as running.

The real hook is the roguelite loop. Every death sends your character back to the rebel camp, where you’ll be met with permanent level increases that lead to new abilities. You’ll also be able to spend radiant shards collected on your journey on items such as health increases and higher damage output.

Path choice is as important as character choice, as each has its own unique challenges and mini-questlines that will lead you to terrifyingly strong bosses and new characters. The path for unlocking Cinder led me through a fickle stack of enemies, where we questioned one another as to whether we had met before. All before dying and seeing her again, on another organic run, where I saved her from a group of foes.

Once she joined my adventure, I took other paths that led to the expansion of ways I could take, such as building a bridge for folks to give tribute to the Sun King. Before being built, all I could do was jump into the ravine below, fighting my way to a solution for the above.

Rituals are random modifiers earned after tough encounters that completely change your build. I once had a passive that turned my dashes into entire screens of inferno. Changing my Cinder playstyle into a dash and run type, baiting enemies into my fiery constructed paths.

Co-op makes it even better. A dynamic duo without any coordination can somehow find themselves blasting their way through waves of enemies and bosses, building rapport they never before dreamed of in screen-clearing combos.

In my first coop run, I nearly made it to the end of the game before I ever even unlocked the ability to upgrade my Ritual ability. Which happened to be the same run I unlocked Brome, a specialized AoE wizard.

The world of Absolum is as stunning as its gameplay loop. Supamonk’s hand-drawn art style weaves inspirations of long-gone drawing styles from decades past that invoke feelings of dark Disney-esque fantasy.

Character depictions have weight, impact, and spirit in every drawn frame, bringing emotion to the game screen in ways I haven’t felt since my early childhood. Depictions of Ciders' hookshot follows a glowing chainlink; Galandra raises pure darkness from imbued sword magic. The world of Absolum is depicted in a 90’s art style I’ve been craving without knowing it.

Throughout my time, my friends were constantly pestering me to come take another run at Slay the Spire 2, Gray Zone Warfare, or some other creation bursting on Steam or Xbox. My one answer came to be, “Sorry, Absolum run,” with each and every person who asked. Hours have gone by, and not once have I felt repelled from this chaotic fantasy world.

I’m nowhere near finishing Absolum, and I can’t help but get excited to sucker my wife into this gameplay system, so I have a constant coop buddy to make runs with in the upcoming weeks.

Absolum is available right now on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass, Switch, and PlayStation 5. Grab a friend and start smashing your way to the Sun King to save the land of Talamh.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Though it hasn't always remained on Microsoft's gaming subscription service Xbox Game Pass consistently, Rockstar Games' beloved 2013 open-world action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) stands as one of the best titles that's been in the Game Pass catalog, and on console and PC, it's been available to play through the program with both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Premium for the past year.

In just over a week, though, it's leaving Game Pass once again — and it's unclear if or when it will come back to the service. Microsoft recently announced the news that GTA 5 will no longer be available with Game Pass come April 15 while detailing April's additions to the program, and that news has undoubtedly disappointed many.

Indeed, even well over a decade after its release, GTA 5 is in the top 10 of the most-played Xbox games list, and also holds the 14th place position on the Steam charts at the time of writing. The game has also sold well over 200 million copies since its release, and is second only to behemoths like Minecraft in terms of overall success.

While GTA 5's single player experience is popular, its remarkable longevity can mostly be attributed to GTA Online. Players frequently engage with its free roam multiplayer gameplay, as well as with the heists, races, and other forms of content that Rockstar consistently updates the game with. GTA Online also sports a passionate modding community on PC that plays together on unofficial community servers, too.

Naturally, it's always disappointing to see extremely popular and community-driven titles like GTA 5 leave Xbox Game Pass. But for it to do so now is quite a bad time in particular, given that its long-awaited sequel GTA 6 is only months away from its highly anticipated launch.

It's no exaggeration to say that GTA 6 could very well be one of the biggest game releases of all time when it comes out on November 19 later this year, and is expected to have an extremely explosive and successful launch. If Red Dead Redemption 2 shows anything, it's that Rockstar's worlds are incredibly rich, immersive, and engaging to play in — and GTA 6 is promising everything people loved about its predecessor with grander scale and ambition.

Undoubtedly, excitement for the game will drive countless players to return to GTA 5 or play it for the first time as they wait for GTA 6, and it's a shame that they'll no longer be able to do so with Game Pass. Perhaps it will come back to the service one day as it has in the past, but I wouldn't expect that to happen until after the sequel's out.

One big silver lining, though, is that as with all departing Xbox Game Pass titles, GTA 5 is available to buy permanently on Xbox or the Xbox on PC app for a huge 50% off discount. So, from now until April 15, you can take advantage of the game's final days on Game Pass, and then opt to buy it for $19.99 at Xbox instead of its usual $39.99 price.

🗨️ Are you sad to see GTA 5 leave Game Pass?

Though this isn't the first time GTA 5 has left Xbox Game Pass after being on the service for a while, it's notable that it's now leaving ahead of GTA 6's launch, as many were hoping the game would remain in the Game Pass library permanently after the sequel's arrival.

Are you sad to see GTA 5 go? Will you play it on Game Pass while you still can, and/or buy the game while it's discounted? Let me know in the comments, and vote in our poll:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Bite-sized indie games built on simple, classic game premises have crashed onto the gaming scene and made an impact in recent years.

Titles like Vampire Survivors and Balatro have challenged the idea that a game needs to be complicated to offer deep gameplay mechanics.

These two breakout indies have also been developed by solo developers who saw a way to build upon classic game genres and grow them into something unique.

And yet, the concept has proven that it is not just lightning in a bottle as solo developer countlessnights — with the help of the publisher 2 Left Thumbs — has now taken the mechanics of dice rolling and turned it into a full-fledged roguelike, complete with a compelling story and addictive gameplay loop in Dice a Million.

The idea is undeniably simple: You have a bag of dice from which you can select tokens to roll. When the dice land on the table after a roll, their value is tabulated for your score. Each round has a debt that must be paid, and any additional score after that is yours to keep or trade for goodies from the post-round shop.

Alright — game explained! We’re done here!

Well, not so fast.

There’s actually a lot more under the surface of Dice a Million than just throwing some dice at the table. While the basics are accurate, there are a few key elements that are at play, as well. One is the hand color. Similar to Balatro’s method of introducing gameplay modifiers by letting players select different deck colors, Dice a Million players can also modify the game's basic ruleset by selecting from colorful hands that throw the dice.

Some hands allow the player to sacrifice the number of dice they can throw in exchange for a discount in the shop, while others offer different starting bonuses, like an increased chance of finding rare rings.

Speaking of rings, those also add an extra gameplay layer to Dice a Million. Similar to Balatro’s jokers, Dice a Million’s rings can offer added boosts to your dice’s tally. Some rings may provide a buff to only even-numbered dice, while others prefer odd. Some can increase the potential for enchantments or allow the player to draw a card when a certain event occurs.

Cards also boost gameplay potential, giving players the chance to draw extra dice, add extra rolls, and even create potential synergies that further boost the player’s score.

Dice a Million has over 120 unique dice that players can purchase, unlock, and otherwise collect to fill out their dice bag for each run. Runs are broken down into Faces, with each face having a progressive path of challenges that increase in difficulty by requiring the player to hit higher score goals.

Faces also give players the chance to roll their dice bag to match certain combinations in hopes of acquiring extra rewards when completing a round. Halfway through each face, players are rewarded with a new ring.

When players reach the end of a face, they are challenged with a unique boss battle. Any score previously accrued that was not spent in the shop is lost, and the player starts the boss challenge on 0. They must then roll their dice and accumulate enough score to beat the boss, but there is another twist here.

The boss die have specific challenges attributed to them, and they are randomized with each run. In some instances, odd or even numbered dice rolls may be nullified. In others, rings may be disabled or certain synergies can result in no score at all.

Building up your dice bag to topple the final die for each face can be a struggle, but if you’re lucky enough to actually reach the end of a run and beat the final boss, you just might find yourself unlocking some of Dice a Million’s creative story. It’s a slow, steady drip of lore that changes the rules in unexpected ways and leaves you saying “just one more roll.”

Dice a Million is currently available on PC Game Pass, though the developer has committed to an Xbox release at a later, currently undisclosed, date.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Thanks to @redphx over on X (formerly Twitter), we may have an early look at a possible new Game Pass tier.

Redphx regularly digs into Game Pass updates, sharing new additions, updates to “Stream your own game,” and even behind-the-scenes updates. They does this by checking data from Microsoft’s public-facing backend, which can sometimes reveal changes before they appear to the public.

What is Xbox Game Pass “TRITON” and what does it include?

“Triton” is potentially a new Game Pass program. However, unlike Essential, Premium, and Ultimate, it only includes games from Xbox Studios for now.

According to redphx, this includes:

• DOOM Eternal
• DOOM 64
• Dishonored 2
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Gears 5
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade
• Ori and the Blind Forest
• Psychonauts
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Retro Classics

We are recently fresh off the rumors that Asha Sharma is looking at ways to evolve Game Pass. This includes suggestions that Netflix could be bundled in, as well as potential efforts to reduce the cost of the service.

With that in mind, a new tier does not seem out of the question if those rumors are to be believed.

If you like these kinds of updates regarding Xbox Game Pass, be sure to go give @redpx a follow over on X to stay up-to-date with any new codenames or other Game Pass-related details.

Would you be interested in a new Game Pass tier that only includes first party games?

I am not entirely sure how I feel about a new tier like this. Personally, I would prefer options that let me remove things like Fortnite Crew and other additions I do not use from my Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Paying for features I do not care about can feel frustrating, which leads me to agree with Jen's recent piece on Game Pass, which I highly recommend you give a read and check out.

With that said, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in the poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

One very interesting bit of Xbox news this week was the revelation that Microsoft's new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is considering making the firm's gaming subscription service Xbox Game Pass cheaper. Specifically, it was reported that she's exploring ways to offer "lower-priced tiers" to make memberships "more enticing to a broader range of customers."

For many, that's an exciting prospect, especially since the major price hikes that went into effect last year were extremely controversial, and drove many users away from PC Game Pass and especially Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The monthly price of the former rose from $11.99 to $16.49, with the latter jumping all the way up from $19.99 to $29.99.

One executive in the industry, though, has voiced concern with the idea: Michael "Cromwelp" Douse, the publishing director at Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity developer Larian Studios. Douse views the proposed plan as an example of "Race to the bottom" pricing — AKA, aggressively slashing prices to undercut competitors — and believes that approach will damage the viability of Game Pass as well as game development overall.

"Race to the bottom pricing is exactly why Game Pass is in a mess, as is subscription, as is art. I don't think race to the bottom needs a renaissance. Trust is at an all time low," he argued in a post on X (Twitter).

"You can supplement cost tiers as much as you want, but in the face of headless leadership & worker insecurity reliance on affordable quality content is folly outside of indie," he continued. "In other words now is the worst time to make quality games at low cost, or expensive games with stars."

When asked why trying to deliver quality games at a low cost was a bad thing, Douse replied that "There's an Austin Powers quote about a golden toilet," referring to this one: "And I wanna toilet made out of solid gold, but its just not in the cards now, is it?" In other words? It's just not feasible.

If I'm interpreting Douse's stance correctly (I believe I am), it appears he's arguing that with the gaming industry as volatile as it is right now, making games (and services like Game Pass) either too cheap or overly expensive will result in unsustainable business that doesn't bring in enough money to recoup costs and turn a sizable profit. (reportedly, Game Pass is profitable...but is it profitable enough?)

"Content is and always be king but costs skyrocketed and erry1 got fired," he added in a follow-up post. "The powers that be did not create the economic reality for sustainable quality content within that model. Now even less so. Bottom up economics is [good]."

Now, to be clear, I actually agree with the core point Douse is making. That being said, I do think Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's current $29.99/month price tag is too pricey and has ultimately made it far less justifiable in a lot of budgets, especially with how tight money has become for many in the last few years.

With that in mind, I'd like to see a price reduction for Ultimate, or at least a less expensive tier similar to the old Ultimate that removes some of the newer benefits many aren't likely to use, like Fortnite Crew access. I don't think we need any tiers cheaper than the $9.99 Game Pass Essential or the $14.99 Game Pass Premium, though.

Ultimately, it's an interesting discussion. Before engaging in it yourself, though, Douse urges keeping the wider context of the industry in mind: "Before anyone replies let's first consider mass layoffs, exploding development costs, reduction in disposable income, stagnation in hardware sales & ambition, and then come with an argument."

🗨️ Do you think Game Pass needs price adjustments?

Larian Studios' Michael "Cromwelp" Douse's take on Xbox Game Pass' pricing brings up a good point that finding the right balance between "underpriced" and "overpriced" is critical, and that it's not always a good idea to lower the price of a service just because it's struggling to grow.

Do you agree with his point, or do you think Microsoft should pursue cheaper ways to offer Game Pass access to customers? Would you subscribe to Game Pass if there were more affordable tiers available that still gave good value?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, so share them in the comments and vote in our poll:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The first half of March was already stacked with titles like Cyberpunk 2077, and it looks like Xbox is not slowing down.

The second half of the month brings some serious heavy hitters, including Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which arrives on March 31, 2026, for Ultimate, Premium, PC, and Cloud.

Here’s a full breakdown of everything coming to round out March and a little look into the start of April, including which Game Pass tiers get access to what games via Xbox Wire.

🗨️ What's your favorite addition to Game Pass to round out March?

I won’t lie, seeing South of Midnight and other games already on Game Pass show up in the graphic was a bit confusing. It looks like Xbox is including titles coming to the Premium tier to round things out, which makes sense.

Things kick off with Disco Elysium: The Final Cut on March 19 for Premium and PC Game Pass. Not long after, fans of Like a Dragon can jump into Infinite Wealth across Ultimate, Premium, and PC, with support listed for handheld as well.

The Alters brings a unique survival twist, while Absolum leans into classic beat ’em up action with roguelite elements. Nova Roma arrives day one on PC as a city builder, and The Long Dark arrives for a slower survival experience.

The clear standout to close out March is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on March 31. It’s a great pick for anyone who has not jumped in yet or just finished Resident Evil Requiem.

Looking slightly ahead, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lands on April 2 for Premium and PC after previously being on Ultimate. Final Fantasy IV follows on April 7, giving fans on Premium and PC Game Pass a chance to experience the classic.

Overall, it is a varied second half of March with something for pretty much everyone.

🎮 What’s your take on March’s Game Pass lineup?

Game Pass just landed a genuinely stacked mix of horror, RPG brilliance, and fan‑favorite surprises. Resident Evil 7 and Disco Elysium alone would make it a strong month, but the variety here is what’s catching people off guard. Horror fans are eating, story‑driven players are eating, and anyone who loves a good “didn’t expect that” addition is eating too.

So let’s hear it. Is this one of the stronger months we’ve seen lately, or does it still feel like Game Pass is warming up for something bigger? Tell us what hits, what misses, and what you’re diving into first!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The first half of March 2026 is shaping up nicely, with Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 now available and with Cyberpunk 2077 leading the charge into the first half of the month (via Xbox Wire).

It's arriving for Cloud and Console only, which may disappoint those hoping to see it supported via Xbox Play Anywhere. Still, fans can dive in from March 10, 2026, and that is far from the only highlight this month.

Here’s a full rundown of everything coming to Xbox Game Pass and when:

🗨️ What's your favorite addition to this months Game Pass announcements?

With Final Fantasy III and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II available today for Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Premium, subscribers are already off to a strong start this month. One of last year’s biggest hits, Hollow Knight: Silksong, is also making its way to the Premium tier, which is always nice to see.

I also want to highlight Planet of Lana II, an ambitious sequel that is perfect for fans of puzzle adventure games. It arrives on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on March 5, so there is not long to wait.

To a T is another standout for me, arriving in the Premium tier. From the creator of Katamari Damacy, it looks like a fun, albeit awkward, adventure between a teen and his dog.

Was Cyberpunk 2077 expected thanks to Xbox’s teaser, or are there any other games here that surprised you and made you want to jump in and give them a try?

Let me know in the comments, and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Alinea Analytics, for those unfamiliar, is a data analytics company focused on the gaming industry. It provides insight into everything from sales performance to player engagement.

This week, it has published a closer look at Xbox Game Pass, highlighting just how powerful the service can be when it comes to getting players to try new games.

The firm analyzed some major additions from last month, including: Star Wars: Outlaws, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and Death Stranding. All three joined recently, so how are they performing? Things are looking good.

Game Pass delivers a major player boost

It’s no secret that Game Pass drives players to try new games.

What people have questioned, though, is just how much of a difference it really makes. If Alinea Analytics is right, the impact is quite significant.

According to the firm, Star Wars: Outlaws saw the biggest boost. Around 595,000 players checked it out across PC, console, and cloud, with 100,000 jumping in on day one alone.

Considering the game’s underwhelming launch, it’s encouraging to see so many players willing to give it a shot through Game Pass.

Next up is Warhammer: Space Marine 2. This is one I’ve personally been playing with friends thanks to Game Pass, so seeing 544,000 players dive in across PC, console, and cloud isn’t surprising.

Before joining the service, the game had already surpassed 1 million sales on Xbox, according to Alinea Analytics. It was also maintaining roughly 30,000 daily active users, showing it already had a solid base.

The data also highlights an interesting overlap. About 57% of Space Marine 2 players had previously played Gears 5, which tells you a lot about the kind of audience it’s attracting.

Close behind those two is Death Stranding Director's Cut, bringing in 512,000 new players. Then there’s Resident Evil Village, which saw around 500,000 total players jump in and also gained Xbox Play Anywhere support at the same time.

For Village, Alinea Analytics mentions that the game performed even better on PlayStation Plus Extra, where it reached 852,000 players after being added on the same day. Of course, PlayStation does have a larger install base, which likely played a role in that difference.

Lastly, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, the 2D retro-inspired title that was added into Game Pass last month as well, saw 102,000 players check it out.

I must admit I'm surprised by some of the games here that saw a spike, mainly Star Wars: Outlaws, but more people checking out games is never a bad thing.

Passing it over to you!

Are you one of the players who jumped into any of these games through Game Pass, or did you already own them? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

High on Life 2 is set to release tomorrow, February 13, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC, with the Nintendo Switch 2 version releasing in April 2026. It serves as a sequel to the original game, which launched on Xbox Game Pass, and coincidentally, the sequel is doing the same.

High on Life 2 sticks closely to what made the first game enjoyable and dials it up. It is a first-person shooter packed with talking guns, wacky characters, and fast-paced gameplay, all designed to make you laugh.

Now, the reviews are in, and High on Life 2 appears to be stacking up slightly better than its predecessor, at least based on early scores. So, let’s take a look at what critics are praising, and where they think it falls short.

How are critics scoring High on Life 2?

As of writing, High on Life 2 is sitting at a 75 on Metacritic. Scores range from as low as 6/10 to as high as 9/10, with the top marks coming from XboxEra, now renamed to DayOne.

Across reviews, one of the most consistent positives is the humor. Critics frequently highlight how funny the game is, along with its strong sense of identity and expanded scope compared to the original.

Many reviewers describe it as bigger and more chaotic, offering a meaningful expansion rather than a simple repeat. If you enjoyed the first game, early impressions suggest there is plenty to like in the sequel.

That said, it is not without issues. Multiple critics point to bugs and technical rough edges, noting that it could benefit from additional polishing.

Some outlets also argue that it does not evolve the formula in a major way. While a few see that as a safe approach, even lower-scored reviews still acknowledge that the game itself is enjoyable, even if flawed.

High on Life 2 releases tomorrow, February 13, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass and supports Xbox Play Anywhere.

Are you jumping into High on Life 2 on Game Pass tomorrow, or are you buying the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Following Microsoft's major overhaul to Xbox Game Pass last year that saw sizable price increases, multiplatform access for every tier other than PC Game Pass, and the addition of Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew benefits, the firm is planning to further revamp its buffet-style gaming subscription service.

The news comes from Tom Warren of The Verge, and the latest edition of his weekly Microsoft column Notepad in particular. He reports that in addition to potentially testing free Xbox Cloud Gaming soon for a possible launch later in 2026, Microsoft is also looking to "expand" Xbox Game Pass, and "is in the early stages of exploring ways" to do so.

Specifically, Warren says that the firm might be planning to merge the PC Game Pass tier with another, such as Xbox Game Pass Premium; Windows Central can corroborate this with our own sources. He also notes that Microsoft is looking to bundle more third-party services with Game Pass memberships.

"While the free Xbox Cloud Gaming won’t be a new Game Pass tier, sources tell me Microsoft is in the early stages of exploring ways to expand its Game Pass subscription lineup," Warren reports. "I understand that Microsoft is looking at ways to bundle third-party services with Game Pass subscriptions and potentially even merge Xbox Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass together."

It's worth noting that PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate already give its subscribers access to EA Play and a suite of Ubisoft+ titles, along with special benefits in Riot Games titles, Overwatch, and others. After 2025's October overhaul, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate specifically includes Fortnite Crew as well, Epic's $11.99 Fortnite membership that gives monthly V-Bucks, Battle Passes, and cosmetics.

Bundling further third-party services with Game Pass will undoubtedly make Microsoft's subscription model more attractive to potential customers. As for what will be offered where, it's impossible to say right now, though I wouldn't be surprised to see more benefits added to Ultimate after its price hike to $29.99/month has been scathingly criticized by users.

That would also make sense as a change made in tandem with the merging of PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Premium, as that would bring Game Pass' premium offerings — guaranteed access to first-party Xbox games at launch and its widest library of available titles — to a larger group of users. Without some added benefits to sweeten the deal, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate would be even harder to justify subscribing to if that happened.

As for when further changes to Game Pass are coming, it's unclear right now, with Warren noting that he "wouldn’t expect to see any major changes to Game Pass this year." Therefore, you shouldn't expect to see the service get revamped in 2026; 2027, though, may bring another new era for Microsoft's popular subscription service.

How would you feel about PC Game Pass being merged with Xbox Game Pass Premium in another revamp for Game Pass? What third-party services would you like to see bundled with Game Pass subscriptions? Do you currently use Game Pass yourself, or is it not a good fit for your gaming habits? Hit me with all your thoughts in the comments.

Despite its 50% price increase drama last year, Game Pass continues to assemble a fairly compelling line-up. Xbox has framed the higher cost as a way to support more frequent day one releases, particularly within the Ultimate tier, while also extending Xbox Cloud Gaming access beyond its previous limits.

That expansion does come with some compromises, with Microsoft set to introduce advertising to Xbox Cloud Gaming later this year. Still, the more immediate focus for subscribers is what Xbox Wire has just revealed, and there is plenty for Game Pass fans to look forward to as January 2026 continues.

The second half of the month is shaping up particularly well, with Death Stranding Director’s Cut leading the charge when it arrives on Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on January 21, 2026. While it may not be for everyone, fans can expect the familiar Hideo Kojima spectacle, built around deliberate traversal, striking visuals, and a world that rewards patience as much as progress.

Here’s a full rundown of everything coming to Xbox Game Pass and when:

Looking ahead to the end of January, the Game Pass line-up leans heavily into variety, with several very different games landing in quick succession. Death Stranding Director’s Cut is the obvious headliner, arriving on January 21 across Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. It remains a divisive game by design, but for those who connect with Hideo Kojima’s slower, more deliberate approach, this is still one of the more distinctive worlds you can explore on Xbox.

That same day also brings Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a side-scrolling revival of the classic series from the team behind Blasphemous. It looks set to appeal to players who miss tightly designed, punishing action games, while RoadCraft goes in the opposite direction with a slower-paced construction sim focused on rebuilding disaster-stricken environments, either solo or in co-op.

Things continue to pick up later in the month with The Talos Principle 2 on January 27, a thoughtful follow-up that expands on the original game’s puzzles and narrative themes. January 28 then adds Anno: Mutationem and Drop Duchy, offering a mix of cyberpunk action RPG combat and roguelite strategy, respectively.

Perhaps most exciting for me, even though I already own it, is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II, which arrives on January 29. It is easily one of the strongest games on the list, bias fully acknowledged, and its addition to Game Pass makes it far easier to jump into co-op with my friends, which is where the game truly shines.

Other little tidbits

Xbox Wire also highlights a few additions that some players may have missed, including Quarantine Zone: The Last Checkpoint, which is available today on PC Game Pass. The game places players in charge of a checkpoint during a zombie outbreak, tasking them with inspecting survivors and preventing the infected from slipping through.

Grounded 2 fans can also look forward to a new update on January 27, with the Garden update introducing a Community Garden biome packed with new areas to explore.

Alongside new additions, several games are set to leave Game Pass on January 31. These include Shady Part of Me, Starbound, Lonely Mountains Snow Riders, Paw Patrol World, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap.

Overall, the late January line-up does a good job of showcasing the breadth of Game Pass, blending high-profile releases with smaller titles that cater to very different tastes.

Don’t forget, Xbox has their developer direct on January 22, which will showcase upcoming releases this year, including Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Beast of Reincarnation, and maybe more, so make sure to keep your eyes out for that.

Which of the late January Xbox Game Pass additions are you planning to try first? Share your picks in the comments below or vote in our poll:

Epic Games Store just posted massive growth numbers — jumping from 108 million users in 2019 to 295 million in 2024. But here’s the catch: third‑party revenue only grew 1.6% in the same period, according to a post on Reddit.

The reason? Epic leaned so hard into free game giveaways that it trained millions of users to log in, claim freebies, and never spend a dime.

Online discourse be damned (particularly on Reddit); the Epic Games Store has come under scrutiny in recent days as users compare its growth between 2019 and 2024. During that period, the platform grew by 173%, rising from 108 million users to more than 295 million.

However, that growth has not translated into spending. Third-party revenue only increased by 1.6% over the same timeframe, showing that while Epic has attracted a huge audience, very little of that audience is actually buying games on the platform.

The Epic Game Store problem

For those who do not know, the Epic Games Store is Epic’s answer to Steam, Valve’s PC storefront that dominates the market. Steam is the go-to platform for most PC players, in part because it simply works and does not get in the way of the user experience.

Steam was not always that way. When it first launched in the early 2000s, it faced heavy criticism, but that is a story for another time.

The Epic Games Store launched in 2018 and immediately tried to take market share from Steam by offering developers a better revenue split and by locking down exclusive releases. That approach did little to win over players, and Epic has since moved away from it, but does still provide a better revenue split.

Instead, Epic leaned heavily into free games to bring users onto the platform. While that strategy worked in terms of sign-ups, it also turned the store into a place many people only open to claim giveaways before closing it again, which is something I also do.

It is easy to point and laugh at Epic here, but the platform does, or at least did, offer a worse overall experience than Steam in almost every way. It launched without many basic features, and while it has spent years filling in those gaps, for some users, it has all come too late.

For example, Epic only added reviews in 2022, wishlists in 2021, achievements in 2021, gifting in 2025, and messaging in 2025 after removing them four years ago. It still does not offer family sharing or mod support, and this is just a few things; the list goes on.

Is this an Xbox PC problem as well?

It is easy to draw some parallels between the Epic Games Store and Xbox PC. Both are competing with Steam, and both lack features by comparison, but that is largely where the similarities end.

While it is easy to be cynical about Microslop, the Xbox app relies heavily on subscriptions through Game Pass rather than giveaways. PC Game Pass has seen 45% year over year growth, which shows that even with its feature gaps, there is an engaged audience willing to spend money rather than just opening the app to claim free games and leave.

While this is not directly tied to Xbox PC, console players also show a strong willingness to spend, especially on shooter titles. Even though PlayStation is estimated to outsell Xbox hardware by roughly 3 to 1, Xbox users still turn out in large numbers to buy certain games, which you can read more about here.

Unlike Epic, Xbox is also investing heavily in a cross-device ecosystem across cloud, console, and PC. The long-term goal is for future Xbox hardware to blur the line between console and PC, bringing Xbox and Steam libraries together in one place. That vision is what keeps me in the Xbox ecosystem, as it offers a more open and flexible future than a closed platform that simply repeats the same cycle each generation.

The future of PC gaming is Steam for now

Unfortunately for Xbox and Epic, PC users have had it very good for a long time with Steam. Its user-focused approach and stable feature set mean it has not given players many reasons to leave, which is likely why both Xbox and Epic now seem more focused on carving out their own lanes rather than trying to directly replace it.

In Xbox’s case, the next generation of hardware is expected to support multiple storefronts, including Steam and Epic. For Epic, it has taken a different route by allowing things that Steam does not, such as NFT-based games, and by publicly supporting the use of AI in development. Tim Sweeney (Epic's CEO) has also criticised Steam for requiring developers to disclose AI usage.

What once felt like a space where Epic and Xbox could not exist now feels like one where coexistence is possible, and that is fine. While neither platform is likely to take meaningful market share from Steam, neither of them needs to in order to succeed on PC.

That reality is reflected in how I use it. I still open the Epic Games Store to claim free games, while spending most of my time working through my Steam and Xbox backlog, often forgetting Epic is even there. That does not make Epic a failure, especially since it brought in over $1.09B in revenue in 2024. By comparison, Steam pulled in $1.6 billion in December alone. While Epic may never reach the same scale or goodwill as Steam, it does not need to in order to remain successful.

For many, Epic has become the “free game launcher” rather than a real storefront. Steam remains the place people actually buy and play, while Epic’s strategy left it with hollow growth. Whether you see this as clever marketing or a failed experiment, one thing is clear: Epic taught its audience to rarely open their wallets.

Do you use Epic Games Store and if so, how? Let us know by commenting and taking part in our poll below:

11 bit studios' sci-fi survival game, The Alters, crash-landed onto Xbox Game Pass back in June.

Since then, the unique title, which blends 3D action adventure and exploration with challenging strategic gameplay and resource management, has enjoyed critical and commercial success, despite a misstep with AI-generated placeholder text shipping with the final product.

In its first-ever developer showcase, 11 bit studios has revealed a massive brand-new content update for The Alters, and it is available to play today for free.

What's landing in the new update for The Alters

The Alters features base-building and resource management gameplay as part of a narrative where one man, Jan Dolski, has landed on a dying star on a mission with a corporation searching for a resource known as Rapidium. Unfortunately for Jan, his crew perished in the landing, and now he must survive and escape before the sun rises.

But Jan doesn't have to do it alone. Thanks to the Rapidium and special technology from home, Jan is able to make clones of himself to help around the space station. He doesn't just need more hands, though, he needs expertise. To create the types of clones he needs to survive, Jan must re-evaluate pivotal decisions in his life and explore what might have been if he had made different choices.

The end result is a crew of unique Jans who all have their own wants, needs, and motivations for surviving on this hellish planet. But all work and no play makes Jan a dull boy, so a relaxing environment for your crew is a must-have.

With The Alters' newest update, you can opt to install a Gamer's Den into your space station so that your crew of Jans can unwind. The Den comes with an all-new, fully playable card game, as well.

Relaxing isn't just for Jan, by the way. The new update introduces a new Relax Mode for players who want to experience the story of The Alters without the stress of unbearable existential dread. Relax Mode also pairs well with the new Photo Mode that lets you get in there and capture the best (and worst) moments of your crew of Jans' survival struggles.

Before you whip out the camera, though, you can spiffy your Jans up with new spacesuit skins and give the base a custom skin, as well — surviving for the gram! It's not all cosmetics and recreation, though. A new noir-styled storyline will have Jan solving a shadowy mystery aboard the space station. Or making it more complicated.

The choice is yours, really. If you mess up, though, you can take advantage of the new save system that will make it easier to take control of your branching decisions. Now you can finally get that Xbox completion on your gamertag by creating the Jans you missed on your last playthrough.

FAQ

For years, parents have been able to let their kids sign into Windows 11 with their own Microsoft accounts, while the parent with the active Game Pass subscription stayed signed into the Microsoft Store. The child could then use their own Xbox profile in the Xbox app.

This setup meant kids had proper screen-time limits, content restrictions, and activity reporting through Microsoft Family Safety. It also meant each child had their own saves, achievements, and identity in games, which is how most families expect things to work on PC.

A recent Xbox app and Store update appears to have shut this down (via Reddit). Windows, the Microsoft Store, and the Xbox app must now use the same account. If they do not match, PC Game Pass titles simply will not launch.

Parental controls disabled, cloud saves overwritten, and families left without warning

Microsoft’s Family Safety tools only work when a child is signed into Windows with their own Microsoft account. That is how the system applies time limits, content filters, and app restrictions.

Under this new behaviour, the reported workaround from Microsoft support is to sign into Windows using the parent’s account instead. Once you do that, the PC treats the session as an adult user.

At that point, every parental control disappears. There are no screen-time limits, no content filters, and more. Meaning you lose the ability to manage what your child can access or how long they play.

Even if the child then signs into the Xbox app with their own profile, the PC still considers them an adult because the Windows login belongs to the parent.

On PC, Game Pass save data is tied to the Windows account and Microsoft Store login, not just the Xbox profile. So, when a different Windows user opens a game, the system treats it as a new player and generates a fresh save file.

That blank save then gets synced to the cloud and overwrites the original progress. In reported cases, that meant losing a 100% Hollow Knight completion and long-term progress in Deep Rock Galactic. Once the cloud has synced over the old data, there is no official recovery option.

Some users say Microsoft support confirmed the change is intentional and under review, although there has been no public announcement or formal communication from Microsoft about discontinuing this setup. Right now, though, it appears to be enforced and functioning as such.

What affected parents can do now

Before doing anything else, it’s worth backing up any local save files on your child’s Windows account. The easiest approach is to copy the WGS save folder linked to their profile. That way, you avoid another cloud sync wiping more progress if the system tries to create a new save again.

If you’re dealing with lost progress already, check the game first. Some titles have a built-in option to restore saves from the main menu, and some developers have been known to help recover data on a case-by-case basis.

Going forward, the only safe way to keep Microsoft’s parental controls in place is to let children continue using their own Windows account. Signing them into Windows with your account removes all restrictions and puts their data at risk.

If you want to stick with Game Pass on PC and still keep time limits, content filters, and profile control, your child will almost certainly need their own Game Pass subscription under this new setup.

FAQ

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the second game in the franchise to launch under Microsoft ownership, and as with Black Ops 6 it will be a flagship title for Xbox Game Pass.

Unfortunately, it's locked behind the new $30 a month Ultimate plan if you want to play on Game Pass on console. Unless you absolutely know you need this, PC-first players can save significantly by being on PC Game Pass, instead.

Black Ops 7 is shaping up to make for a stellar year for Call of Duty, though. The recent beta had fans clamoring for more, and its developer, Treyarch, has made some important changes based on feedback from those fans.

Skill based matchmaking (SBMM) will be dramatically reduced by default, changes are being explored to rotational aim assist to reduce the strength of its effects, we'll even get persistent lobbies!

The maps we've seen so far also seem like an improvement on the rather lackluster selection in Black Ops 6. While we were only treated to a small selection, they were all excellent, with a more traditional three-lane approach than many in this year's game.

We still haven't seen anything of the campaign, though we're promised a proper endgame for it this year, as well as its own Mastery Camo grind. Zombies had a small part in the beta, too, and while the story will progress, the overall gameplay, so far at least, seems to be very much like Black Ops 6.

All will be revealed when Black Ops 7 launches on November 14 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

After a hiatus last year, the Football Manager franchise is making its triumphant return to console and PC.

Football Manager 26 is almost upon us, with the added good news that it'll be on Xbox Game Pass for subscribers to play from day one. '

The bad news is that it'll only be available on the Ultimate and PC tiers of Game Pass. The recent pricing changes to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate means it's more expensive than ever to play it this way on console.

Ultimate or PC Game Pass is the only way to get day one releases, so unless you need to also play on an Xbox console, the PC Game Pass route is by far the best value.

Microsoft has also added handheld gaming PC compatibility information to the Xbox app already for Football Manager 24, and it's good news. It's not a demanding title, so as expected, it'll play fine on handhelds like the Xbox Ally.

The caveat to that is that it comes with a warning that some text may not be as readable on a small screen, which is to be expected. Football Manager 26 will be very data and text heavy, so I'd recommend going for the console edition on a handheld gaming PC.

But if you're a subscriber to the right tier of Game Pass, you're all set for November 4!

The news has come in a little later than usual, but we now have our second wave of Xbox Game Pass arrivals for Oct. 2025... and the first few days of November.

It's another diverse list, but the flagship Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is definitely getting most of the love this time around. At least one of these games is going to take up a lot of my time, though, so I'm feeling pretty good about this list.

You can check out the original post at News.Xbox.com if you'd like, but you'll find everything you need right below — including a surprise addition not included in the original announcement from Xbox.

Added Oct. 22

• Commandos: Origins — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (Premium, PC, & Ultimate)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (Premium, PC, & Ultimate)

Added Oct. 23

• Bounty Star — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)
• Pacific Drive — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (Premium, PC, & Ultimate on day one)
• PowerWash Simulator 2 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)

Coming Oct. 24

• Super Fantasy Kingdom — Xbox on PC (PC & Ultimate on day one in Xbox Game Preview)

Coming Oct. 28

• Halls of Torment — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (Premium, PC, & Ultimate)

Coming Oct. 29

• The Outer Worlds 2 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)

Coming Nov. 4

• 1000xRESIST — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (Premium, PC, & Ultimate on day one)
• Football Manager 26 — Xbox on PC (PC & Ultimate on day one)
• Football Manager 26 Console — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)

I'm already playing The Outer Worlds 2 (it's awesome)

Out of this bunch, my most anticipated is easily The Outer Worlds 2 — and I'm already playing it (courtesy of a code from Xbox Game Studios). I'm already loving this sci-fi RPG sequel from Obsidian Entertainment, and I'm fairly certain it'll end up being one of my favorite games of the year.

In our full, in-depth The Outer Worlds 2 review, my colleague, Samuel Tolbert, said:

"The Outer Worlds 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but delivers a more refined version of a formula that worked. Better exploration and combat buoy a tight role-playing experience that feels crunchy and isn't afraid of cutting off branches depending on player skills. The overarching story is a bit more self-serious than its predecessor, but the numerous side quests still lean comedic. A few bugs aside, it's not a game to miss."

Apart from The Outer Worlds 2, we're also getting the immensely satisfying PowerWash Simulator 2 (releasing today) and Football Manager 26 (coming in early November). As an added surprise, Pacific Drive just landed on Xbox alongside a new expansion, and it rolled onto Game Pass at the exact same time. Nice!

I think it's a solid list for Xbox Game Pass, but it's definitely not quite as impressive as what we got in the first half of October. You can keep up with all the recent and upcoming Xbox Game Pass arrivals right here on Windows Central.

If you're looking to re-up your Game Pass subscription and want to avoid the recent price hikes (we all do), you can currently get 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $54.99 at Amazon.com right now — giving you a full month and some change for free.

FAQ

Recently, Microsoft has made the controversial decision to raise the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's subscription fee by 50%, sparking a massive backlash from gamers.

In retaliation for this price hike, players have unsubscribed from the service or switched to its lower tiers, like PC Game Pass, which Newegg has decided to use this opportunity to sell a discounted three-month subscription code for this PC-only service at $29.99.

Why is PC Game Pass now better than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

There are good reasons why people are abandoning Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in favor of PC Game Pass.

The main one being that PC Game Pass offers many of the same benefits of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at roughly half of the new controversial monthly subscription fee (PC Game Pass being $16.49 while Game Pass Ultimate is $29.99).

PC Game Pass grants players access to over 400 games from the Xbox Game Pass library (including Day One release titles), EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, in-game benefits (Riot Games, Overwatch, etc.), and Microsoft Rewards from gaming up to $50.

The only significant drawbacks are that PC Game Pass is limited to Windows PCs and that you won't have access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

So if you want to take advantage of this service, you will need a well-built gaming PC or a high-performing Windows-based gaming handheld before considering taking up Newegg's $29.99 offer for three months of PC Game Pass subscription time.

I'd say it's worth it in the long run, as $29.99 for three months will be cheaper than PC Game Pass' upcoming $16.49 price hike, which will ultimately see you pay $49.47 for the same timeframe.

What's even better is that if you're already a member of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, this prepaid subscription PC Game Pass will be converted into 60 days of game time for your Ultimate plan, making it $14.99 a month for its three-month duration.

If that ain't cheating the system, then I don't know what is.

FAQ

We've had quite a few takes here at Windows Central over what I can only describe as the Grav Hammer of all announcements. The 50% price hike to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate caught us all off guard, no matter your gaming pedigree.

Each of us has had our own take, with Jez questioning Microsoft's business directions. Brendan focusing on PC Game Pass becoming the best tier, and Jen questioning the very relevance of Game Pass to her wallet.

I'm more of a raw emotion guy, or at least I was when I first started writing this yesterday. I told myself I needed to wait another day to truly process everything and see it from a clearer, potentially more positive view. Then I asked myself, why?

Earlier this spring, I penned that Xbox was just a Game Pass machine, and now, with the latest changes, I can't even say that. In fact, the Xbox Series family is quite possibly the worst place to use Game Pass.

Think about that for a second. The Xbox Series X and S are the worst places to play Xbox Game Pass.

I feel like I've been doing too much Xbox security lately. Coming to their defense, often arguing that Game Pass is profitable when many say it's not. Fighting over the fact that ownership isn't everything, and that I wasn't going to replay 95% of the games I played on Game Pass anyway. In fact, I wouldn't play some of them if it weren't for Game Pass.

I think I'm done after this one. I don't know what they're doing. Whether the price increase is to cover Call of Duty (as CoD reportedly lost $300 million in sales), the addition of Fortnite Crew, Ubisoft+, or the promised 75 games coming day one, I just don't care anymore.

Microsoft, it's time to go back to the roots of what made Game Pass great.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

A 50% price hike for a service with little to show for it, other than forcing several services into a single tier, is definitely a pill to swallow. Something that they may have seen as some sort of miracle cure-all, instead, is a poison to what I can only imagine amounts to the loss of thousands, if not millions, of subscribers.

What they've done by shoving every service into the top tier is to alienate everyone who wants something different from the service.

Are there players who want Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ as part of Game Pass Ultimate for $30? I'm sure the answer is yes, but to what degree? I'd argue the latter, potentially, given that Ubisoft has games you can play, but a free-to-play addon?

Maybe someone upstairs was thinking, "Wow, what a great deal for people, for only ten more dollars, they can get twenty dollars a service." But what money are we saving exactly here? There is nobody sane who is playing these promised 75-day-one games and is also subscribing to Fortnite Crew to make regular use of it.

That is, unless you're an absolute hardcore gamer whose job in life is to literally sit in front of a video game console. There is no way you're utilizing all of those services. Which is why not offering more than one tier with day-one games, or some sort of add-on service for Game Pass, is even more odd.

In the end, who does this rob but the people who loved Game Pass for what it was? A promise to play great games and have access to day-one releases for a lower cost of entry than it would be to buy them. This change is taking away, in many respects, something that improved the livelihoods of gamers around the world.

I know, I know, they're not technically taking away the service from people, but by raising the price by fifty percent, they've effectively priced much of the market out. Heck, in Brazil it's gone up 100%!

They've taken the service away from people who could afford it, people who loved this service, people who looked forward to coming home and sitting down on their couch or in their office, logging onto their console, and just playing some damn games.

Game Pass provided a cheaper alternative for people around the world to get into a hobby they loved so much, and now it's not cheaper at all. I know the PC version is now the superior one, but we're talking about Xbox Game Pass here. First and foremost, where the service has its roots, and that's on console.

And if you want your day-one games, if you wish to have your massive library of titles to play at the best streaming possible, fourteen months ago, you could get that all for just seventeen dollars. And now, they've decided, even though it's been profitable, that they are going to add twenty dollars of services that nobody asked for, and charge another ten dollars.

To add insult to injury, only hours before the price hike, it was being reported that Sarah Bond was telling journalists that Game Pass was profitable, having generated $5 billion. This has only given fuel to the naysayers who said it wasn't.

In my eyes, the change comes from greed, not necessity. If it was needed, why did they add $20 worth of services in Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+, all while promising more day one titles and higher streaming quality for only $10 more? That would cost more than the additional price increase, no? If you're a naysayer, please answer that one.

Back to my actual argument, who exactly is this tier for? Why can't we separate the Fortnite Crew, Call of Duty, and Ubisoft+ offerings?

To top it off, they started their reveal video with, "We heard your feedback." Whose damn feedback did you hear? Show us this feedback, show us the data you're talking about, which misaligned your entire business model in such a catastrophic way.

I promise you, they have nothing of the sort. Nowhere was there a large faction of gamers, whether a minority or majority, who were begging to pay $30 for these features.

I'd much rather have different-tier addons or different tiers entirely. Hell, I'd even ask them to remove Call of Duty, Fortnite Crew, and Ubisoft+ if it meant keeping the price somewhere in the ballpark of $20. The way it's currently measured, we're forced to pay $30 for everything, regardless of what we actually want from the service.

Please, remove these features if it means the loss of Day One games at an affordable price. Remove Call of Duty and solve that $300 million hole you've reportedly suffered, I don't care. I'm sure others would rather have an affordable service over Call of Duty as well. I'm not the only one.

Microsoft, for the past decade, has been the definitive picture of two steps forward, three rakes to the face. Yes, I know that's technically impossible, but Microsoft has somehow managed to do it. Maybe AI is behind the decision-making?

Profits before anything else

The push behind all the metrics — AI and its profits. As Jez Corden wrote, AI has been a key focus for Microsoft over the last couple of years. It's likely caused the downfall of developers in an attempt to cover the costs of their $80 billion investment.

The gaming partition has become another cog in the Microsoft machine. As Xbox is pushed to become as marginally profitable as Office, Copilot, Teams, and other Microsoft products, customers have been fighting the changes in force.

I have never seen another company in the industry cause so many face-palming moments in my life over the last couple of years, and I'm someone who remembers all the years of Ubisoft dance-offs at E3.

In Satya Nadella's best attempts at an AI-infused Spaceballs sequel, a search for more digital money, he has turned the Xbox fanbase against them. Seriously, do you know how hard it is to get just about everyone at Windows Central and also several Xbox-oriented content creators to unanimously agree that you've done a bad thing?

It's possible that they could somehow add value to the service, making this move seem plausible in 2026 and beyond. But that's just it; they've yet again done something that leaves the rest of us scratching our heads, far before the move makes sense.

Even if they somehow add bigger third-party games to the service in the coming years, do you think this will be the last price increase? Do you really think the company that's raised the price three times in two years is done?

One take is that they're pushing a higher price to drop subscribers in order to cut the service. If that were the case, they wouldn't be pouring resources into creating new partnerships with all these companies. They believe this will work, and for once, I really hope they fail.

That would make even more sense given the reported loss on sales for Call of Duty, but again, I'd rather the game just be removed if it means raising the price by $120 a year when Call of Duty only costs $70.

An end to a Game Pass era

I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but I really want to know how that meeting went. Who was in the room nodding their heads, going "yes, this is a great idea, everyone, we should really do this."?

And if they accounted for this backlash, and they knew that this whole thing would blow up like this, what's the endgame? Do they genuinely believe enough die-hards will swallow the $30/month pill, shrug off the axed DLC discounts, and stick around for the "upgraded" perks they never clamored for?

Microsoft, a quick reality check: Next time, try articulating your grand designs before you drop them on us like a poorly timed plot twist. As it stands, you've just delivered a barrage of bad news, chased by a flimsy "trust us, it'll pay off" wink. All you've done is slap us a bunch and told us it'll be worth it.

I know this is anecdotal, but I've had multiple friends come to me now through Discord or text, all of whom have asked me what exactly is going on with Game Pass. I've been asked twice if the price increase is real, once if I think Microsoft will backtrack on this, and three times how to cancel the service.

RELATED: How to cancel Xbox Game Pass

In case you haven't seen it, a monumental number of people have searched for how to cancel Xbox Game Pass on Google. Ironically, I'm willing to bet the most trending Bing search is also how to cancel Xbox Game Pass. That must be a fun one to show your bosses.

Xbox, wake up and fix this mess. Slash the bloat, restore the value, and give us back the Xbox Game Pass we fell in love with before the exodus turns into extinction. Or, you know, before it's already game over.

In a recent Bloomberg report, Microsoft has reportedly given up a potential $300 million in Call of Duty sales as a result of putting the game on Game Pass. In the report, Cecilia D'Anastasio said:

"The price hike and other changes to the Game Pass plans are a sign that Xbox's big streaming push is still not generating the revenue it would like eight years after launch, according to interviews with seven current and former Xbox employees. The company is putting some of its top titles on the streaming service, but that's cutting into sales of higher-margin games like Call of Duty, which came with Microsoft's 2023 acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., said the people, who asked to not be identified discussing internal company matters.

Xbox gave up more than $300 million in sales of Call of Duty on console and PCs last year, according to one of the former employees, who asked not to be identified discussing internal estimates."

First of all, what did they think was going to happen? Of course, you'd lose out on potential sales with it being part of Game Pass. The idea, or so I thought, was to make up the lost revenue in a different way.

According to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 had the largest launch of any Call of Duty ever, thanks to Game Pass. The question at the time wasn't how many people would play it, but whether that spilled into actual gross revenue.

Earlier this year, Call of Duty continued to dominate the sales charts as the number one highest-selling title in the United States. Later, in May, Tweaktown reported that Black Ops 6 was "the highest-grossing title in the franchise's history."

So, what gives? How much did Xbox really "lose" as a result of all this, and how much does it look to gain as a result of the price increase? That's a number only Microsoft knows, and the rest of us will have to guess on it, but let's look at some numbers, if you'll bear with me.

Assuming Call of Duty averages its reported $1.2 billion in sales annually. We'll use that as a starter. Now, imagine Call of Duty Black Ops 6, according to the recent report, managed to generate only $900 million in sales.

That leaves Game Pass subscribers at the forefront of making up the $300 million deficit, which they can do in multiple ways. The main way is through subscriber counts.

To reach Call of Duty, you needed to pay for the original $20 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Assuming every single subscriber paid for this $20 as just that, and not through sales or other various VPN methods, you would need 15,000,000 subscribers to make up for the lost income.

Now, this can be spread out over several months; you don't need 15 million subscribers in a single month. Instead, you need to do that over the course of some months to make up the difference. According to Satya Nadella, Game Pass saw the "most Game Pass subscriber adds ever seen on a launch day," thanks to Call of Duty Black Ops 6.

The other method is through microtransactions. A potential increase in Call of Duty players, thanks to them already being subscribers to Game Pass, can lead to increased revenue through cosmetic bundles, battle passes, and other in-game offerings.

Given that Black Ops 6 had the highest recorded revenue (not profit) of any Call of Duty game ever and added the most Game Pass sign-ups, you'd think this was all good news. Well, I did too.

Then, Microsoft increased the price of Game Pass Ultimate by 50%, and will be implementing the new pricing model exactly 11 days before the launch of Black Ops 7. Coincidence? I think not.

Now, it's clear that it's not the only reason Game Pass Ultimate is increasing. Raising the price by $120 a year for a $70 game isn't exactly mathing out. Somewhere, someone is unhappy with the way the numbers are coming out as a whole. Where that line falls, only Microsoft knows, but it's clearly coming from someone at the top (cough Amy Hood cough).

Months ago, on July 5, 2025, our own Jez Corden penned the opinion that Microsoft's Amy Hood had given, "Xbox an utterly unrealistic financial requirement that is going to continue hurting the division. This isn't over."

From the top down, the shift in focus from simple profit to profits that exceed a specific margin has been underway for months, if not years. After the axing of Tango Gameworks, people started wondering if the captain at the helm was still Phil Spencer, Satya Nadella, or Amy Hood. Clearly, people are no longer wondering.

Perhaps this price increase for Game Pass Ultimate is partially intended to encourage people to buy Call of Duty instead of subscribing. However, it couldn't come at a worse time, given the massive growth in interest for the Battlefield franchise. You'd think you'd want to lower the barrier of entry with such a formidable competitor emerging.

Going back to the Bloomberg report, "Game Pass hasn't delivered the explosive growth Microsoft anticipated post-Activision, and they've realized their infrastructure costs don't align with their pricing model," said Joost Van Dreunen, founder of the video-game analytics firm Aldora."

The question becomes, what does explosive growth look like to Microsoft? What would finally make the executives at Microsoft happy?

If you're reporting record growth for your service and record revenue in the history of the Call of Duty series, what more can you ask for? Apparently, a lot more. They've started to release a decent amount of games to the service; this year alone, they've added:

• Avowed
• South of Midnight
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4
• Gears of War: Reloaded

With Ninja Gaiden 4, Outer Worlds 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 still on the way. If you were to pay for all of those up front, you're looking at a total cost of around $450, which is on par with the new pricing model of $360.

Then again, you don't own any of them through Game Pass, which makes the surging cost even more confusing to consumers. Why pay a premium for digital rental when the same price can be paid for a full purchase? Heck, even waiting for a sale on all these could save you even less than the yearly cost of Game Pass.

Now, I know that doesn't account for all the other games added to the service, but for the most part, a lot of people subscribe for the day one releases.

Whatever the case may be, it's clear Microsoft wants more money for the addition of Call of Duty to the service. Be it the only reason or only part of it, there's still a considerable weight being placed on the title and the rising cost of Game Pass.

Microsoft has tweaked and changed Xbox Game Pass a fair few times in the eight years that've passed since its introduction in 2017, but this week brought what was arguably the service's biggest ever shakeup.

On Wednesday, the firm completely overhauled every tier of the program, replacing two of them, expanding available features, and making some sizable price adjustments. Notably, the changes have largely been seen as part of Microsoft's continued focus on multiplatform gaming, and came just ahead of the launch of the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X gaming handhelds.

Game Pass' lower-end tiers — the console-specific Core and Standard — got a significant boost for no price increase. They've been superseded by Game Pass Essential ($9.99/month) and Game Pass Premium ($14.99/month), respectively, with the former gaining a slightly larger library of 50+ games and both now working across Xbox consoles, Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Annually, you can earn $25 (Essential) or $50 (Premium) of Xbox rewards through gameplay, too.

But these added benefits came at a cost elsewhere; specifically, with PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. PC Game Pass was bumped from $11.99 to $16.49/month, and Ultimate got a massive jump up to $29.99/month from $19.99.

Microsoft did bring Ubisoft+ games to both to compensate, and also threw in a Fortnite Crew membership (1,000 V-Bucks and cosmetics each month) for Ultimate users. Even so, though, the Ultimate price hike in particular greatly angered Game Pass players, to the point where so many were canceling subscriptions that Microsoft's website struggled to withstand the traffic.

Ultimate is no longer the best deal in gaming

At $19.99/month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was often touted as "the best deal in gaming" — an assertion that was hard to argue with, given how much value it brings to the table. Access to the full Game Pass library of 400+ games across Xbox consoles, PC, and cloud, with the contents of the EA Play vault and guaranteed availability of new Xbox Game Studios titles on day one as well.

But with a whopping 50% price increase, the flagship Game Pass tier has simply become too expensive for many to justify, especially when you consider all the streaming services people like to have for TV and movies, as well as rising costs of living in general.

The price hike also comes just a year after Ultimate was bumped from $16.99 to $19.99 in 2024, as well as in the wake of not one, but two Xbox hardware cost increases. To put things into perspective, the Xbox Series S — once lauded as a budget-friendly console — now costs as much as a Digital Edition PS5.

Now, in the face of growing U.S. tariffs and other global economic factors, hardware price increases were arguably inevitable. But with the cost of Game Pass Ultimate skyrocketing shortly after, it feels like Xbox has lost the "bang for your buck" edge that gave it advantages over its PlayStation and Switch competition — and with barely any added value to show for it.

Sure, getting the Ubisoft+ collection through Ultimate is nice, and the inclusion of an $11.99 Fortnite Crew membership is great if you happen to be a fan of Epic Games' battle royale hit. But if you don't care for Ubisoft's open-world titles or Fortnite — like I don't — all you're getting with the new Ultimate you didn't have before is the opportunity to earn $100 of Xbox rewards credit every year. That simply isn't worth the jump from $240 to $360/year to stay subscribed to Ultimate annually.

I don't doubt a price hike was likely needed to support the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming and its streaming services, but even so, I believe Microsoft would have been far better off spreading the price increases out some instead of loading most of that extra cost on Ultimate members. The decision to do so is why I canceled my Ultimate subscription, moving to what I now consider to be the best tier of Game Pass.

PC Game Pass has taken the crown

While it also suffered a price bump up to $16.49, PC Game Pass is still a fantastic deal, and the one I've decided to pull the trigger on following the cancellation of my Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. With it, you get all of the best benefits of Ultimate, including the full 400+ game library and day one access to Xbox first-party titles. You also get EA Play and Ubisoft+ games, too, along with $50 of earnable Xbox credit a year.

PC Game Pass' only major downside is its lack of multiplatform availability; as the name implies, it's unavailable to both Xbox console and cloud users, meaning it's only usable on a Windows PC or gaming handheld. Thus, whether you can take advantage of it or not is determined entirely by whether or not you have a capable Windows rig.

Building a gaming PC can be expensive, and most gaming handhelds aren't exactly cheap, either. But if you have a device able to make the most of what PC Game Pass offers, it's easily the best tier of the service that there is. It's certainly the best one for me, being the avid PC gamer I am.

After all, you're getting all of Ultimate's best features for just over half the price — and while I'll miss being able to play Game Pass titles on my Xbox as well with Xbox Play Anywhere cross-progression, that's not something I'm willing to spend $29.99/month to keep when I could pay $16.49 instead.

My utmost hope is that the severe backlash against Ultimate's cost increase drives Microsoft to reconsider, or at the very least reintroduce a tier identical to the old Ultimate that cuts out Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ to hit the old $19.99 price point. Until that happens, though, I'm sticking to PC Game Pass. Outside of stacking existing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cards before they sell out, that's where the best value now lies.

It feels like we’re living in some alternate dystopian future for Xbox. Once an unstoppable juggernaut during the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft is now charging upwards of $360 a year for Game Pass Ultimate. The company justifies this price hike with perks that many players, myself included, didn’t ask for.

Luckily for me, here in the United Kingdom, I can take advantage of my phone provider EE, which offers Game Pass Ultimate as a £12 add-on to my monthly bill. Even so, these rising costs are hard to ignore.

That’s where GameStop has stepped in. For now, it’s selling digital Game Pass Ultimate codes for $19.99 for one month and $59.99 for three months — the same pricing Ultimate used to have before Microsoft’s increases.

Game Pass Ultimate (1-month)

It’s not just Ultimate. GameStop still lists PC Game Pass at its original price. For anyone unwilling to submit to Microsoft’s steep new costs, these options remain an affordable way to stay subscribed.

Game Pass has long been promoted as the “best deal in gaming,” and in many ways that’s true. Ultimate includes Xbox Game Studios titles like Call of Duty, 1440p access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and bundled perks across PC, mobile, and console. Other tiers also exist, with Game Pass Core (soon to be Essential) at the entry level and Game Pass Standard (soon to be Premium) in the middle.

Despite Microsoft’s recent hikes, GameStop is holding firm on its pricing for now. If you want to save, this is the time to grab codes and stack them while you can.

PC Game Pass (3-months)

The best deal for PC gamers: PC Game Pass

An argument could be made that this is now the best deal in the Game Pass lineup. That said, shifting from $9.99 a month to $16.49 a month is a steep jump. The tier does still include day one releases, including Call of Duty, along with EA Play, making it a fairly solid option. Even so, it pushes the boundaries, especially for PC players who are used to heavy discounts through platforms like Steam.

Fortunately, GameStop is offering some relief. Right now, you can grab a three-month PC Game Pass subscription for $35.99. That’s notably cheaper than the $49.47 you’d pay if you went month-to-month.

The best deal in gaming: Game Pass Ultimate

It’s hard to say what hasn’t already been covered across Windows Central, Reddit, BlueSky, and X (formerly Twitter). Still, at $29.99 through Xbox, Game Pass Ultimate now delivers more than 400 games across PC, console, and cloud, along with over 75 day one releases each year, including Call of Duty.

This version of Ultimate also adds Ubisoft+ Classics, bringing a library of older Ubisoft titles into the mix. EA Play remains included, and Fortnite Crew joins in November, giving subscribers monthly V-Bucks and access to the game’s Battle Pass.

For cloud players, streaming has been upgraded to 1440p. It’s a welcome boost in quality, though it comes at a hefty price.

Luckily, GameStop has stepped in, roasting Xbox in the process while boasting about still offering Game Pass Ultimate digital codes at a far more affordable $19.99 for one month or $59.99 for three months. Users can stack these codes, making it one of the cheapest ways to extend a subscription — and potentially the last chance to do so before Xbox intervenes.

Game Pass Ultimate (3-months)

Whilst I don’t hold much love for GameStop after its big NFT push, it wasted no time joining the chorus of criticism aimed at Xbox. After Xbox announced its price hikes and Game Pass changes in a tone-deaf video, GameStop reposted with a jab of its own:

It was a playful dig at what is otherwise a frustrating moment for Xbox fans. Our own Jennifer Young has questioned the value of the service, and I find myself doing the same. After 18 years on Xbox Live, I am now paying for things I don’t need or want.

This all might have been easier to swallow if Microsoft had introduced a tier focused on day one games and online multiplayer only, or if the new perks were optional add-ons. Instead, we’re left footing the bill. I suppose Satya can put the extra revenue toward building more AI datacenters — unless, of course, enough people decide to speak with their wallets.

We're halfway into September 2025, and as such, Microsoft has recently announced( via Xbox Wire) the next batch for this month's line-up of Xbox games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass. Twelve have been revealed for this batch, and some of them are worth keeping a major eye out for as they're regarded as some of the most critically acclaimed of modern gaming.

These include, but are not limited to: Supergiant Games' award-winning roguelite Hades, Square Enix's newest entry in its Mana series, Visions of Mana, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the latest installment of Call of Duty's best-selling Modern Warfare sub-series.

Here is the full list of Xbox games coming and leaving Xbox Game Pass for the second half of September 2025. Don't forget to check out the first half of Xbox Game Pass' new titles for September 2025 if you missed them already.

Games coming to Xbox Game Pass

September 16, 2025

• RoadCraft (Xbox Series X|S and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Standard

September 17, 2025

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Console) – Game Pass Ultimate
• For the King II (Console) – Game Pass Standard
• Overthrown (Game Preview) (Xbox Series X|S) – Game Pass Standard
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

September 18, 2025

• Frostpunk 2 (Xbox Series X|S and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate
• Wobbly Life (Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

September 19, 2025

• Hades (Console, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

September 22, 2025

• Endless Legend 2 (Game Preview) (PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

September 23, 2025

• Sworn (Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

September 25, 2025

• Peppa Pig: World Adventures (Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• Visions of Mana (Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

September 30, 2025

• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Console, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

October 7, 2025

• Sopa – Tale of the Stolen Potato (Console, PC, and Cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

New games coming to Xbox Game Pass Core in October

On the first day of October, three games will be added to Xbox's Game Pass Core tier program. These titles are:

• Cities: Skylines – Remastered
• Disney Dreamlight Valley
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass

Here is list of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 30, 2025. So be sure to get your playtime on these games before they're gone from the library.

• Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Console, PC, and Cloud)
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (Console, PC, and Cloud)
• Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge (Console, PC, and Cloud)
• Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)

Time to play Hades on Xbox Game Pass an appetizer for Hades 2

This next batch of Xbox Game Pass titles is a solid line-up to close out September.

We have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a title we gave a glowing 4-Star review to for its well-executed single-player campaign, satisfying gunplay, wide variety of old and new multiplayer maps, and entertaining Modern Warfare Zombies mode.

Then there's Visions of Mana, a charming action-RPG that has helped Square Enix's colorful Mana franchise gain mainstream popularity for its action-packed gameplay and fantastical world.

Finally, we have Hades, one of the most critically acclaimed action-RPG roguelites in recent memory. This game won accolades for its unique take on Greek mythology, addictive combat system, endless replay value thanks to its roguelite elements, and its brutally challenging boss fights.

With its sequel, Hades 2, leaving early access soon as it approaches its September 25, 2025, release date, Hades 1 coming to Xbox Game Pass a few days prior makes it the perfect time for longtime fans to start another playthrough or new fans to experience it for the first time.

I'm of the latter, as I never played the original Hades when it first came out in 2020 due to my life being completely taken over by Monster Hunter World at the time.

Now that it's coming to Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, it's time for me to see what I missed out on when Hades joins Microsoft's vaunted subscription service on September 19, 2025.

Silksong is out now on Xbox Game Pass!

No, you're not dreaming — we do, in fact, live in the reality where Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry's frenziedly anticipated Metroidvania platformer, has actually come out. Following the sudden and unexpected announcement of its release date in August, Silksong officially launched across Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, Switch, Linux, and macOS platforms on September 4 over six years since its announcement in 2019.

Unsurprisingly, Silksong quickly took the Steam charts by storm, surpassing the concurrent player count peak of the recent Battlefield 6 Open Beta that was extremely popular in its own right and establishing itself as one of 2025's biggest games. This doesn't account for how it's performing on other platforms, though I'm sure it's blowing up on them, too.

On top of that, Silksong is also enjoying an incredibly positive reception in terms of early reviews; though there aren't reviews from critics yet since early copies of the Hollow Knight sequel weren't provided to media and creators, it has an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam from 22,026 user reviews (at the time of writing) — 95% of which give it a blue thumbs up.

Indeed, it's wholly accurate to say that Hollow Knight: Silksong is blowing up the internet right now, and with that in mind, I'm not surprised that tons of gamers are wondering if you have the option of playing it through Xbox Game Pass. The Microsoft gaming service gives its members access to hundreds of games every month in exchange for a subscription fee, and sometimes, new games launch with availability in the program.

If you're hoping to experience Silksong that way, I have good news — Team Cherry's hit launched onto Xbox Game Pass, and is available to play on Xbox and PC through the $19.99/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or just on Xbox on PC with the $11.99 PC Game Pass. Sadly, it's not on the $14.99 console-specific Xbox Game Pass Standard tier, as it doesn't give access to new releases. It could come to that version of Game Pass at some point in the future, though.

Between the two tiers that do give you access to Silksong, your best overall option is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. While PC Game Pass is less expensive, Ultimate allows you to play the game on both Xbox and PC, with full Xbox Play Anywhere support ensuring you can take advantage of cross-progression. With Ultimate, you can also stream the game with Xbox Cloud Gaming.

At its standard cost, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is $19.99/month, but you can actually get one-month subscriptions for just $13.49 at Loaded (formerly CDKeys) thanks to a hot deal. By far, this is the most affordable way to sign up, especially if you're only planning to subscribe temporarily.

How else can you play Hollow Knight: Silksong?

Hollow Knight: Silksong may be available to play on Xbox Game Pass, but it's not like you have to use it to jump into Team Cherry's much-anticipated sequel. In fact, one of the most attractive things about the game is that it's incredibly affordable, making it less of a financial burden to purchase than many other new titles are.

While the developers could have very reasonably justified an MSRP of $30 or even $40, Team Cherry instead settled on $19.99 for Silksong — the same price as one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means if you decide to buy it fully on Xbox or PC or have to if you're on one of the game's other platforms, it won't be too taxing on your wallet.

I've only played one Prince of Persia game, so I don't have the storied history that many others do — particularly with the 3D action-adventure entries. I adored Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown when I reviewed it, though, and now I suddenly have another intriguing Prince of Persia game to play.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a brand-new 2D roguelite with fast-paced combat and platforming gameplay. It already spent over a year in early access, but ultimately flew under my radar entirely — now the full game is very suddenly very here, shadow dropping onto Xbox, PlayStation, Windows PC, and... Xbox Game Pass.

I didn't need to see much of this game to add it to my backlog, and the fact that it's a surprise day-one addition to Game Pass makes it all the more interesting. If you need any more convincing than that, the launch trailer should do the trick.

Stuck in a time loop with only one way out

The Rogue Prince of Persia tells a time loop story, a common setting for roguelite games. You are a Prince beset by the mistakes that led to the destruction of your people and kingdom, and even in death, you were unable to find freedom.

Now, you must explore your crumbling city and fight back the corrupt enemies that occupy it, with every life you live (and die) providing new information to empower your next attempt. You won't just take knowledge with you through lives, either, as you can rescue people from the time curse and gain new abilities and options through those connections.

In typical Prince of Persia fashion, gameplay is fast-paced and hectic. This Prince of Persia is incredibly agile, able to chain together dodges, parries, wall runs, acrobatic flips and jumps, lightning attacks, and more to traverse the deadly, trap-laden environments and dispatch the diverse and deadly opponents.

You can also adapt that dextrous gameplay to your own style with over 100 unique weapons and medallions. I think the gameplay looks awesome, and I'm excited to dive in for myself.

An exciting (and surprising) new Prince of Persia arrival

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a ton of fun as a platforming-heavy Metroidvania, and I'm honestly stoked to see a new 2D Prince of Persia game in a parallel (but distinct) genre.

I can still expect plenty of difficult platforming and challenging combat, but I'm really interested to see how the roguelite elements develop over consecutive loops, and what unique directions you can take your build. More than anything, though, I'm in love with this art style and how it flows when in motion.

The Rogue Prince of Persia isn't entirely new, seeing that it spent over a year in early access on Steam, but I don't think anyone expected it to fully arrive quite as suddenly as it did — especially not on multiple platforms, and especially especially not on Xbox and PC Game Pass.

Ubisoft did provide a review code to me, too, and I'll definitely be seeking to play this game before the year is out. I'm told it should take around 15-20 hours to complete, if you're curious about length, with that variation dependent on your familiarity and skill with roguelite games.

I still have a lot of other 2025 games I want to play, though, including The Alters, Ruffy and the Riverside, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Eternal Strands, and Heretic + Hexen.

It really has been a busy year for gaming already, and there's still so much on the horizon, like Keeper and The Outer Worlds 2. It'll be tough to find the time to hit The Rogue Prince of Persia, but I think it'll be worth the effort.

If you agree, you can now play The Rogue Prince of Persia across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass. I also hear a Nintendo Switch version is in the works for release later down the line.

After only a few days of closed beta testing, I knew I'd be hooked on REMATCH. I paid £29.99 ($39.99) for three days of advanced access to this "Rocket League without cars" title before its proper launch in June. Yes, it's a silly way to describe five-a-side football, but it was always the easiest way to pitch this simplified version of the beautiful game, and it makes sense when you see it in action.

REMATCH (yes, in all caps) came from a small team at Sloclap, the French developers behind the brilliant cinematic beat-'em-up Sifu and an even earlier martial arts-themed online fighter, Absolver. So, it's not as though multiplayer netcode was ever a completely alien concept, but adding Rematch to Xbox and PC Game Pass gave its exposure a shot in the arm and a rise in popularity.

Still, even with a similar jumping-off point as Rocket League — its spiritual predecessor — REMATCH has exhibited a continuous downward trend, both in its player count and its reputation among the community. To be fair to its development team, the game is technically in "Season 0", acting more as a precursor for what's to come, but there are unsettling trends and a missing feature on a roadmap that feels too distant.

To be crystal clear: I don't want to join the insufferable bandwagon-jumpers who cry "dead game" at any title that drops off from its initial peak. There's plenty of evidence to show how social media and livestreaming can have an effect on indies during their initial launch window — it's whether or not the developers can harness that hype and wrangle it into long-term success that counts.

That said, my concerns started growing when REMATCH rushed into branded cosmetic partnerships for in-game outfits alongside real-world players marketed as microtransaction-powered extras. Yes, "Ronaldinho joins REMATCH" was a real event before the game had left its beta state, requesting around $9.99 for the minimum amount of in-game currency you'd need to buy him.

On the other hand, servers aren't free — especially not global servers — even if the quality varies depending on your location, echoed by repeated complaints about infrastructure issues for REMATCH in South America and others. I can't realistically expect Sloclap to pay its developers with non-existent funds, but the game doesn't feel like it has its fundamental mechanics nailed down well enough to already be launching high-profile cameos.

I know I'm not imagining things, because I see the same complaints in the 'recent' reviews for REMATCH on Steam. My saves as a goalkeeper are bafflingly brushed aside for the priority of an opposing striker launching themselves into the air for a gymnastic volley. Users lament, with just a hint of hyperbole, "This feels like I'm playing in a server locally hosted in a school basement."

Nevertheless, this remains one of my favorite games of the year (so far), and I've already experienced a few unforgettable moments. I'll keep playing, even if it's taking longer to find a game, in defiance of the peak player number dropping further every day.

Mercifully, the developers opened up this week about their internal progress with the start of a 'mini dev update' series, which addresses some common community complaints, like dysfunctional achievements, but the most-requested feature is still a work in progress.

While I'm sure it's likely a logistical nightmare, the lack of crossplay connecting players from any platform, including consoles and PC (via Steam and PC Game Pass), feels like the most controversial issue in the community right now. After all, Steam players only account for one slice of the game's entire playerbase, and there are countless others on Xbox, PlayStation, and Game Pass.

Well, it's the most controversial after the hair-pulling frustrations of movement exploits, collision-free ball glitches, and utterly toxic players that you'll almost always be paired with in public games. It's still in a vague state of "coming soon", but Sloclap has at least started to directly address the crucial feature in its new style of little-and-often messaging.

Again, there's nothing concrete behind the crossplay messaging, but the latest word is, "We’re now shifting our efforts toward final stabilization and bug fixing, with a special focus on polishing the Social features." It's something, but take a moment to read into the lawless hive of replies on X and you'll see how little faith some players take in this — particularly on the topic of fixing bugs — yeesh.

I'm no coder. Not even a vibe coder. Crossplay probably has far more intricacies than 'where is player X right now', but it's felt like the most criminal omission from REMATCH since it left beta and launched into full availability. There are people in my circle who play games exclusively on PlayStation and want to group up with me on Steam, but I still don't know what to tell them.

Attention spans are at an all-time low, and I'm already looking for my next dopamine fix for when the Battlefield 6 Open Beta ends, so I'm hoping REMATCH has a resurgence of sorts when (or if) crossplay finally drops. Game on(?)

Grounded 2 only first launched into early access on July 29, but in its first few days, there's every reason to celebrate.

Despite its limited scope, being the first early access release, and limited time in the wild, Grounded 2 has already surpassed the original game when it comes to Steam stats.

As highlighted by Eurogamer, the peak concurrent player figures for both the last 24-hours as it stands right now, and the all-time peak since the early access launch, have both surpassed Grounded's highest highs.

As I write this, the 24-hour peak according to SteamDB for Grounded 2 sits at 44,540, with an all-time peak of 49,836. Compare that to Grounded's all-time peak of 32,012, and it's not just a slight bump, it's significant. And for a game that's only in its fourth day of existence.

Xbox's VP of Game's Marketing, Aaron Greenberg, has also hailed Grounded 2's chart topping success in a post on X.

Being a top-selling title certainly goes hand-in-hand with the sort of numbers Grounded 2 has been posting, and it's great to see. The original game came out of nowhere and turned into a hit. All signs point to positive for the sequel.

There's a long road ahead though for Grounded 2. The content in the first early access release is but a fraction of what can be expected. That said, what there is right now is already getting pretty high praise.

The immediate Grounded 2 roadmap shows a heap of new weapons, armor, bosses, equipment, and so much more. One of the highlights is that Obsidian is aiming to have Grounded 2 Steam Deck Verified in its Winter Update, alongside the ROG Ally, so it looks like handheld optimizations are a priority.

With the Xbox ROG Ally on the way later this year, Grounded 2 looks like it'll be getting ready for it.

Steam numbers are only one metric, of course, but it's a metric that we can see publicly in real time. It's also available on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC Game Pass, but we can't see those numbers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine similar success, though.

If there's one thing I'd like to change about my PC gaming habits, it's to stop buying the same game multiple times on different platforms.

Yes, this is about as "first-world" of a problem as it gets, but I know I'm not the only gamer out there who has found a great deal, checked out, and only then realized it's a title that you already own.

While this has long been an issue for many gamers with launchers like Steam, GOG, Epic, Ubisoft, EA, etc. (many selling the same games), the arrival of an active PC Game Pass membership on my system a few years ago really ramped up the overspending.

The PC side of Game Pass is home to hundreds of games that are available to play anytime. Games arrive, games depart, and it's tough to keep tabs on the current selection.

"Hey, just do a quick search of Game Pass whenever you buy a game!" is the natural reaction here, but do you think I'm smart enough to do that?

No. I'd rather rely on my instincts, which have been seriously blunted after years of staring at a screen full of game launchers and storefronts.

The recent Steam Summer Sale, which ran from June 26 until July 10, was chock-full of enticing deals, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't take advantage of some of those sweet, sweet Under $6 offerings.

As it turns out, I could have saved my lunch money and played a couple of the titles on Game Pass rather than buying them directly through Steam.

Is it on Game Pass? A new browser extension intends to find out.

(Nearly) right on time, there's a new browser extension that can stop the double-buying from happening in the future.

Is It On Game Pass, an extension created by Reddit user Orion_DEIL, isn't the first of its kind — alike03's Subscription Info on Steam is another great option — but it is the most complete that I've seen.

It was built for Firefox and Chrome, and the latter compatibility means that it'll also work on Microsoft's Edge browser. With the Is It On Game Pass extension installed, browsing the Steam website becomes a lot more intuitive.

The extension primarily throws up a big flag on game listings, letting you know if the title is currently available on Game Pass, coming soon to Game Pass, leaving Game Pass, or not on Game Pass at all.

Beyond that, it'll also tip you off to better deal pricing, should it exist, at the GG.deals store, all alongside the Steam regular and discount pricing listings.

Even if you don't buy from key resellers (like me) due to their gray market reputation, you can get an idea of what a game is selling for elsewhere.

It's pretty uninvasive and, for the most part, seems to be working as intended. I haven't been using it for long, but I'm enjoying browsing Steam and seeing actually how many great games are on Game Pass.

You can choose which indicators show up, you can pick where deal prices show up, and you can also set your region.

How to use the Is It On Game Pass browser extension

The Is It On Game Pass browser extension works like any other for Edge, Chrome, and Firefox.

Simply visit the appropriate link I've listed below and choose to add the extension to your browser.

• Add the Is It On Game Pass extension to Chrome / Edge
• Add the Is It On Game Pass extension to Firefox

I added it to Edge, my browser of choice, and when you do the same, you might notice a suspicious address — xccczvjplndatsirjahb.supabase.co — listed under permissions.

This was also called out in the extension creator's Reddit thread, and it was explained away as being the backend API used to pull data from Game Pass and GG.deals.

Don't want to install any more extensions? You're not completely out of luck.

As another user pointed out in the Reddit thread, you can also use the PC Game Pass curator page on Steam to see which games are coming soon, which games are currently on Game Pass, and which games are soon leaving.

It's the same idea, but it's not as convenient as having a small indicator everywhere you travel in Steam's storefront.

Xbox Game Pass is the best deal in gaming, as the saying goes. However, people are increasingly wondering if it's simply too good to be true.

This past week, Microsoft laid off 9,000 employees across its business, with an undisclosed, but seemingly large proportion of those being within the Xbox business unit.

Veteran producers, project managers, marketers, developers, artists, and more were laid off without warning — many of whom had only recently enjoyed strong performance reviews. Projects that Microsoft had publicly been positive about were shut down, and in the case of The Initiative, an entire studio was closed.

In the fallout of one of Microsoft's most disruptive and self-denigrating moves in years, people are wondering if the Xbox business is simply unhealthy, with a particular focus on Xbox Game Pass.

Is Xbox Game Pass too good to be true? Is it profitable? Is it an albatross around Microsoft's gaming neck? Here's what we know.

Is Xbox Game Pass profitable?

On X and other social platforms, Xbox Game Pass' business viability has been called into question by various industry figures. Arkane founder of Prey and Dishonored fame Raphael Colantonio opined that "Xbox Game Pass is an unsustainable model damaging the industry for a decade," and is subsidized only by Microsoft's "infinite money." (You should buy Prey by the way, and Weird West too).

DEAL: Lenovo Legion Go $200 OFF for Prime Day 💰

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has maintained that Xbox Game Pass is profitable in various previous interviews. There's no reason to think he wasn't speaking to the reality of the situation, at least at the point of that interview. Microsoft is one of the most prolific companies on Earth with a $3.7 trillion market cap as of writing. You would hope it has a grasp on its business financials. This is before you factor in how it could land Microsoft in hot water with the SEC and shareholders if it misrepresented its business ... but, of course, there are many ways in accounting to frame "profitability."

Microsoft knows month-over-month how much money is coming into Xbox Game Pass via subscriptions, and they know the average churn rate (people unsubscribing). You would hope that they would account for these factors when making the case that Game Pass is a viable business model. Right?

However, perhaps there's more to this "profitability" factor than meets the eye.

TheGameBusiness Editor-in-Chief and veteran journalist Chris Dring recently noted on X that Microsoft itself said that it does not factor first-party sales cannibalization into Xbox Game Pass.

In the early days, Microsoft said that Xbox Game Pass inclusion might actually help sales, through the spread of word-of-mouth, giving games in the service a "free-to-play"-like virality. Microsoft has stopped making that claim in recent years. As Xbox Game Pass behavior and knowledge has matured, Microsoft conceded in court that Xbox Game Pass does hurt retail game sales.

You would think then, that, Microsoft would factor in retail sales cannibalization when it comes to Xbox Game Pass' profit and loss calculations.

Dring says that Microsoft itself told him that Xbox Game Pass' profitability claims do not factor in lost revenue from first-party retail sales, i.e. how much cannibalization has or hasn't taken place. There was commentary a few months ago revolving around DOOM: The Dark Ages, which didn't do spectacularly good numbers on Steam ... although Microsoft came out and suggested it had hit 3 million players "7 times" faster than DOOM Eternal. In essence, it could be taken as an admission that Game Pass cannibalized sales here.

Does Microsoft really not factor in cannibalization when judging its internal studios' performance? While I don't doubt for a second that Chris Dring received the information from Microsoft sources, it contradicts what I've been told about how Microsoft calculates first party game sales against Game Pass profitability as of writing today.

In conversations with various Microsoft sources, I've been told that Microsoft performs calculations based on per-title retail forecasts, which includes things like Xbox, PC, and now PlayStation version game sales, among other factors. And then, it combines that information with the title's Xbox Game Pass engagement. It then adds the net result to Game Pass profit and loss (P&L) statements for that title, essentially charging Game Pass for forecasted "lost sales" on Game Pass platforms. Engagement and reduced churn are factored as success indicators on top. What Microsoft spends on acquiring content and marketing Game Pass is also naturally factored into its P&Ls.

What Microsoft doesn't do is factor in Game Pass cannibalization at the point of funding the game outright. Given that games are being built for a variety of endpoints and business models, sources argued that it wouldn't make sense to put the entire dev costs of titles like Call of Duty or DOOM: The Dark Ages on top of Game Pass — unless the game was going to be fully exclusive to Xbox Game Pass as its only mode of sale and access. Microsoft performs the calculations after seeing how the title performed in the marketplace.

In short, Microsoft sources say it does charge and account for first-party games cannibalization against Game Pass. But perhaps there are wider issues worth accounting for as well.

EDIT (July 8, 2025): Since writing this article, Chris Dring himself retracted his previous comments.

Just to further add, the business model around Xbox Game Pass revolves around engaging users who would otherwise only play freemium titles, or potentially only play 1-2 titles per year — which was the average per console user attach rate both before and after the advent of Game Pass. If an average user who typically does only pay for a couple of games per year stays subscribed for any length of time, they beat that average per-user profitability, while also adding value by engaging and potentially sharing content around those games.

Microsoft is, of course, always tweaking the offer. Day one games were removed from all but the highest Xbox Game Pass tier, and prices have increased. Microsoft visibly wants to maintain Game Pass' business viability and not allow it to become a drain on resources.

It gives Xbox its most powerful platform differentiator, against far more entrenched rivals like Steam and PlayStation. Dropping Game Pass would simply be akin to competing with other platforms from on their own rules, from a position of weakness. I'm not sure how that would keep Xbox in the game in a post-Fortnite, post-mobile universe.

I think it's fair to assume Xbox Game Pass will "change" further with the launch of the next Xbox console, which is expected to be more PC-like than ever. A paywall for multiplayer makes zero sense in that universe. But we shall see.

Either way, debate around Xbox Game Pass will, indeed, continue.

The debate around Xbox Game Pass will continue, of course

For my part, I'm not sure it makes sense to claim that Microsoft would continue to push Game Pass if it fully wasn't working. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has repeatedly shown himself to not be someone that is willing to be patient and subsidize something. The graveyard of dead Microsoft products really exemplifies that, and Nadella's blind spots when it comes to consumer habits have repeatedly shown through, particularly with things like the Windows Recall drama and the failure of Microsoft Copilot+ PCs.

One thing Microsoft very much does clearly understand is the quarterly Excel spreadsheet, and you'd have to hope they have a good grasp on whether or not Game Pass works as an additive product within the Xbox business.

But, perhaps there are unforeseen consequences of Game Pass in general. Many developers have spoken out in favor of Xbox Game Pass, including recently Sandfall Interactive of Expedition 33 fame. Others have decried it, including Revenge of the Savage Planet's Alex Hutchinson, who went as far as to warn other developers not to launch there. Many studios frequently return to the platform with subsequent games and sequels, and even some big publishers like Capcom have used Game Pass as a vehicle to offset risk from some of their more experimental titles, like Exoprimal and Kunitsu-Gami.

There are some completely valid ideas about Xbox Game Pass being at odds with itself somewhat. If Game Pass did grow to cannibalize all retail sales, somehow, then we could end up in a situation like Spotify, where music is now viewed more through a passive, rather than passionate lens. If Game Pass doesn't grow, then the subscription price would have to keep going up (at least in line with inflation) until it no longer represents value for the customer — potentially collapsing in on itself. Microsoft already removed day one games from some tiers of the service for this reason. Microsoft is also putting its AAA retail games up to $80 later this year, starting with The Outer Worlds 2 and most likely Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

And of course, it's hard to really account for the unpredictable human elements here. What if Game Pass and other similar services train users to not buy games at all, even on other platforms? Even for Microsoft, wouldn't reducing the footprint of "owned" games, in theory, make it easier for people to give up on Xbox entirely and switch over to other platforms? — where they subsequently get locked in when buying digital games outright that cannot be resold.

As a customer, I obviously like being able to save money with Xbox Game Pass, particularly as someone who grew up in one of the poorest areas in England. I have strong memories of my family not being able to afford games. I'm sure many of you reading this do as well. Game Pass savings for families can be a powerful thing, particularly in an era where free "games-as-a-platform" forever-titles like Roblox and Fortnite are creating powerful expectations within younger gamers. I'll never forget how confused a younger relative was when I told them Minecraft "isn't free."

But, I also wouldn't want to live in a world where Game Pass was the only option available. As Microsoft pushes Xbox towards PC-like openness, striking the balance between Xbox and PC Game Pass, subscription and retail models, isn't always going to be easy. I already think the Xbox PC app doesn't do enough to showcase games actually hitting the store as a retail option.

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer himself said Game Pass isn't for everyone, and hopefully it wouldn't ever need to be.

REMATCH (all caps, to stand out in your Steam library) is a third-person soccer game in the same vein as FIFA Street, or Volta Football, as it was later known. Essentially, it's Rocket League without the cars since you're in control of only one player in a massive pitch surrounded by a solid ceiling and walls to ricochet the ball around in an attempt to score a glamorous goal that lights up the arena.

"Rocket League without cars IS just soccer, though".

Yes, I know, and I hear you. However, that really is the easiest way to describe the gameplay in REMATCH, a new game from the developers of martial arts beat-'em-ups, Absolver and Sifu. It officially launches on Thursday, June 19, on PC and Xbox, and yes, it will be available on Game Pass on both platforms.

However, I paid $39.99 (technically £29.99, since I'm British) for three days of advance access to the game on Steam, and I'm seeing a strong theme among its community that I've noticed since the developers at Sloclap launched invite-only beta tests and more open-ended server stress tests that followed.

What's the right price for microtransactions?

To reiterate, REMATCH is not a free-to-play game, much to the chagrin of several community members who repeatedly discussed this topic during the game's beta testing stage in its Steam discussions forum.

The developers at Sloclap manage dedicated servers in Europe, the Middle East, and in the northeast and southeast of Asia, as well as in Australia, South Africa, South America, and across the US, including Central states, plus the East and West coasts.

Servers aren't free, so these kinds of competitive multiplayer games usually opt for a free-to-play with paid microtransactions (MTX) model, or add a price tag to the base game and supplement ongoing costs with a battle pass system supported by paid cosmetics.

REMATCH is the latter, but it uses the same trap that practically every other MTX-filled game has: you need to buy coins to purchase the cosmetics. Naturally, you can't buy the perfect amount of coins to purchase a playable skin of legendary football player Ronaldinho, instead fronting for extra coins that you'll probably feel compelled to spend on other digital wearables.

I've already paid for the "Pro Edition" of REMATCH, which earns me a Captain Pass Upgrade Ticket. It's essentially this game's version of a battle pass filled with extra cosmetics that unlock as I play, and I'm rarely the type to be tempted by microtransactions in any game (unless they're really good). Still, I understand the frustrations with systems like this that force gamers to overspend.

Crashes and server lag leads to frustration

Above all, the primary disappointment among early adopters stems from crashes linked to Unreal Engine, which powers the game's underlying code, and the spotty performance of its global servers. REMATCH "Initializing" and "Waiting for game" messages on the splash screen alongside an Easy Anti-Cheat logo are regularly followed by the game's sudden exit on my PC, and I'm certainly not the only one.

It's not all bad, though, and I'm having just as much fun with REMATCH as I did during the beta tests. Thankfully, reviews lay at "mostly positive" on Steam as I'm writing this, and I haven't suffered any seriously upsetting losses due to any mid-game crashes. Nonetheless, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that server issues settle down by the time REMATCH hits Game Pass on Thursday, June 19, and subscribers will be as enamoured by this Rocket League-like as I am.

..Maybe I'm just spending too much time in the Steam forums.

Developed by the ever-creative 11 Bit Studios, creators of Frostpunk, other amazing games, and publishers of even more, comes the "must-play" hit, The Alters. A masterpiece in decision-based gameplay that is fully realized in the outcomes based on said choices.

The Alters has surpassed my expectations of what indie games can achieve. In the past few years, it seems almost every smash indie game, except for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has been something more like the drug-dealing simulations of Schedule I.

Those types of games are tons of fun, and I'm having a blast playing them with my friends. Still, they're not something with a narrative-driven story that forces you to question the decisions in your life.

That last sentence might sound heavy-loaded, but it's not meant to be — it's the truth. The Alters, on multiple occasions, managed to hit way too close to home for me. Let me explain.

First, what exactly is The Alters?

You're Jan Dolski, a man who finds himself stranded and alone on a remote alien planet. The premise may sound familiar, but the triumphs and difficulties you'll face are all but that.

Every playthrough will be unique based on the choice of quantumly calculated alternative versions of Jan that he creates called Alters. These Alters he generates will drive the story and determine his survival as he races against the clock.

You see, Jan's life depends on being rescued before the sun overtakes his position, cooking him to a crisp. To make it out, he'll leverage the manpower of the Alters in various ways to survive.

Every Alter has their own unique qualities based on the alternative choices Jan could have made during his life. Had he stood up to his father, fought harder for his marriage, or focused on his career, these possibilities are represented in the personalities of his Alters.

Jan's escape depends on timeliness, but also on the delivery of a substance he discovered named Rapidium. This resource is the very reason he can create the Alters, and potentially the only reason he's being rescued.

You'll need to balance the control of your Alters, the gathering of Rapidium, and the relationships of everyone if you plan to make it back home.

The uncomfortable mirror selfie

So, why does The Alters resonate so profoundly with me?

I wrote about it in my preview, but my father has been renting a number of rooms inside hospitals as of late. Many midnight hours and restless nights have been spent walking through more than one set of emergency room doors.

A similar reflection of myself is seen in Jan Dolski's past, an influential moment where many Alters shared the fate of their mothers passing away.

At the time of writing that piece, I had, hours before, bared a moment so many have seen yet fought against. My dad, when he thought his time had come, held my hand at our home, begging my mother and me to be alright after he was gone.

His one concern in the face of death was that the two most important people in his life would carry on in safety and health. Thankfully, my dad can ignore the very idea of dying, and as I finished my playthrough of The Alters, I was gifted the news that his health had taken a remarkably better turn.

In moments of panic, one idea had come to mind that I pitched as a potential cause of his sickness. Days later, we discovered that the thought I had proposed was the culprit.

While I'm no doctor, and the cause would have been found without my pitch, the very idea of a moment where speaking up can so differently alter the outcomes of our lives resonated with me. There are so many Alters, including the Jan Doctor, who took on a life of medicine, that drastically changed the outcomes of their lives due to their choices.

Our lives are full of these pivotal, decisive moments—points where we stand for what's right or take actions that we feel are right. Not every juncture, whether right or wrong, gives us the outcome we deserve.

Many of the choices Jan made in his life are similar to pivotal moments anyone could experience. Again, this is marked by my own experiences, but first, the game itself.

Gameplay layered in emotional complexity

The decision-based gameplay in The Alters is absolutely phenomenal. I'd even say it rivals the legendary mechanics of Mass Effect (not Mass Effect 3, never Mass Effect 3).

I can't even begin to describe all the different decisions you can make and the outcomes they generate as a result of being made. It's a staggering amount that I don't think I could count even after multiple playthroughs.

I'll do my best to provide an example without giving too much away.

The Miner in the game is an Alter you can obtain early on, who specializes, you guessed it, in mining. In his life that never existed, he had lost his arm. When brought back, since the body is based on the real Jan Dolski, he had a new arm.

Over a short period of time, he'll come to Jan asking if he can take pain medication for the pain he's experiencing. It seems, for whatever reason, the Miner is going through some sort of reverse phantom pain.

You can either give him the medication or choose not to. While on his meds, he becomes accident-prone. Leading to one injury after another.

Your decisions from here can take you down at least six different routes. All of these tracks lead to some polarizing mixture of happiness or death.

For a $35 indie game, I've never seen this sort of depth in decision-based gaming. From terrific to awful outcomes, it's not a simple choice of yes or no, but a fluid set of determinations I can make that have impactful consequences.

I hardly ever replay single-player games. Even my favorites, like Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted 4, and Dead Space, I've never touched again after completing their campaigns.

The Alters is one of the scarce exceptions to that rule thanks to the various outcomes a player can experience. It has somehow altered my own gaming preferences.

Our lives are full of these pivotal, decisive moments—points where we stand for what's right or take actions that we feel are right. Not every juncture, whether right or wrong, gives us the outcome we deserve.

Moments are quick, sometimes instantaneous, and they happen at times you'd never otherwise suspect. That instant came when I was selling an electronic device in front of my home; I found myself at the barrel end of a gun.

With my phone snatched from my hand and the other items in his car, he walked over to his driver's seat, gun still in hand. He crawled in, and it was at that moment that I noticed the passenger window had been left open. You see, my wife and I both know that I make some of the most brain-dead decisions from time to time, and this time, it wasn't any different.

A choice was made when I jumped through his window and into the car. Grabbing both him and the weapon, he sped off, crashing into another home.

As I was sitting, shaking in my front yard with police outside, I held my soon-to-be wife, who was the one who called the police and witnessed the whole ordeal. So many different choices had led to that moment, to the reason he showed up and the reason he was arrested.

While there's nothing quite like a robbery listed in Jan's experiences, this is one of those life-altering moments that is reiterated throughout Jan's timeline. What if I hadn't jumped in or sold the item at all? What if he had actually shot?

Altering your gameplay

Sure, so the story and decision-based actions are great. We get it, what about the gameplay?

Not only is The Alters a game that tests the paths you never took, but it's also a title that surrounds itself with sound gameplay.

I mentioned the Miner as someone who can better mine metals; that's just one. The Botanist can grow food with 100% better efficiency; the Refiner can more efficiently distill resources; the Doctor can more effectively heal your alerts in the Infirmary than you can; the Shrink can better balance the emotions of your entire crew, etc.

While you can do just about everything yourself, as I've shown you, the Alters you create will be better at it in many instances. Even tasks they're not better at can still be given to them. You can assign tasks to every Alter, from mining minerals to cooking in the kitchen.

While micromanaging can be the most efficient method, The Alters also takes this task out of your hands by allowing Alters to make autonomous decisions based on the needs of the base.

You might find yourself out of radiation filters, one of the items you'll be in constant need of throughout the game. If you have them correctly set, and your Alters have nothing else to work on, they'll ask you for permission to move over and begin work creating those filters.

Every Alter you pick will drastically affect not only the story of the game but also the strengths and efficiencies of your base.

You won't be able to unlock every Alter in your playthrough. So, picking one over another will mean having better coverage in certain areas while suffering in others.

You can entirely skip ever creating The Doctor, but that means missing out on medical knowledge that cannot only affect the health of you and other Alters, but entirely change the outcome of specific storylines.

Further refining the ability to replay is the research tree. The Scientist, an Alter every playthrough will require, is the only one who can research upgrades to your equipment and base.

These include base expansion, story-based item creation, equipment efficiency upgrades, and even beer pong tables. Many of which will require the use of a specific resource that comes in limited quantity, unless some cheating or duplication glitch occurs.

Even the decisions you make during conversations and those related to your base will have a massive effect on the moods your Alters will experience. Navigating their personalities to find the perfect response during dialogue can make an Alter happy or rebellious.

Managing these mood swings is as essential as resource gathering. Speaking of!

Survival gameplay without the kinks

I'm a sucker for survival mechanics and based building. While The Alters obviously isn't something like Rust or Dune: Awakening, you'll be tasked with building and managing base efficiency that will make drastic differences during your playthrough.

Failure to manage the allocation of resources can lead to anger within the base, mutiny, game or screens, Alter deaths, and even different endings.

Your base can only hold so much at any given time. Toward the middle of the game, you'll find yourself removing some critical spaces to make room for something else.

It's a constant balance of having to balance the needs of the mission and survival with the desires of your Alters. Failure on either end can lead to death.

To gather resources, you'll go out to build mining outposts on minerals, metals, organic materials, and more. Either you or one of your Alters can mine for these materials through the use of these outposts.

The best part? You won't have to recreate the mining posts yourself. When leaving an area, your outposts, power pylons, and other devices you've set out will all come back to your base inventory, ready to be deployed in the next area.

Sure, you'll have to place them yourself. But you don't have to go out and unbuild everything like other survival games, where the task of building your base somewhere else requires intensive resource hauling. The Alters does it for you in such a terrific way that it removes much of the tedium of survival gameplay.

My only gripe: The combat

The fighting, if you can call it that, is somewhat repetitive. The main enemy in this game, other than the sun and time itself, is anomalies.

These pesky little guys require an Illuminator to take down. The weapon is essentially a light gun that requires precise targeting of the cores within these anomalies to destroy them.

To start, these are transparent space distortions that float in standing areas. You can either walk around them or take them down for a resource called Alx.

While anomalies will eventually become more aggressive or employ other functional attacks, such as following you or invading your space, it's essentially the same thing every time. Shoot your light gun into the core to kill it; that's it.

I understand The Alters isn't a combat-focused game, but in every title that has combat, repetition is a worry. For me, the action did end up getting a little stale over time, and I would have loved to see some other enemy variety taking the place of these anomalies by Act 2 rather than simple tweaks to their "attack" patterns.

Why The Alters is my indie game of the year

Even with stiff combat, The Alters is a must-play title, tailored to players who enjoy decision-based gaming. If you're a sucker for watching your choices both succeed and fail or even someone who likes to save scum, The Alters is a perfect pickup for you.

With base-building and survival gameplay that removes almost every negative aspect of the genre, veterans and newcomers alike will find both challenge and ease of use when exploring the mechanics within.

The game is something that I find so artistically well-done that it beckons the stuck-up writer personality within me. Calling to me, pushing me to write about how significant its hidden stories bore on me.

From one Alter to another, the tapestry of choices I interwove amongst them revealed unrealized truths about myself, stirring questions regarding my own life's decisions. From the ever-brittle dance of relationships to the stark reality of mortality, I was swept by waves of emotions that exposed both the boundless radiance of joy and the quiet shadows of regret.

The Alters launches on June 13, 2025. It will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and PlayStation 5.

A major takeaway from the Xbox Games Showcase last weekend was the fact that $80 Xbox games have arrived.

Huh. Must be nice.

The Outer Worlds 2 is the game that has everyone in a tizzy, as it’s the first from Xbox Games Studios to hit the new $80 USD price tag.

Accustomed to higher game prices where I live — the not-so-frozen-waste, Canada — I took a gander at what the game would set me back at launch.

I was expecting $90, but it seems I was being too optimistic. The Outer Worlds 2 costs $100 in Canadian loonies. Want the Premium Edition? That’ll be $130.

Don't forget to add taxes, which in Canada are applied at checkout. Depending on where you live, those provincial and governmental taxes climb up to 15% combined.

That pushes the Standard Edition up to $115 and the Premium Edition up to about $150 for Canadians when it's all said and done.

My "Old man yells at cloud" moment is finally here

I understand that modern video games are not cheap to produce, especially on the scale of something like The Outer Worlds 2, a sprawling open-world RPG that I'm truly excited to play. I want game devs to get paid so that they keep making more games.

I also note the fact that there are countless thousands of other, more reasonably priced games to play, especially if you have access to Steam and its mega sales that run a few times per year.

But at what point do average gamers get priced out of the market for new, AAA games?

This is a bit of an “old man yells at cloud” rant, as it doesn’t seem so long ago that I was dropping $50 CAD on new games with my fortune amassed from an after-school job.

It only takes a quick look at the Bank of Canada's wages statistics page to see that most people aren't making much more money than they did in 2004, when I was buying games for half the price they are now.

And TOW2 looks like a bargain compared to some of the new first-party Nintendo Switch 2 games, which parents are no doubt more interested in buying for their kids.

Super Mario Kart World, for example, is $110 CAD before taxes. Super Mario Party Jamboree? That'll be $115, and bump that by $17 in taxes at checkout.

How did we arrive here so quickly? My colleague Richard Devine summed up the situation, saying:

“As soon as Nintendo decided to go down this route, we knew it would be inevitable. Xbox has also increased prices recently and made no secret that it wouldn't just be hardware.”

It's worth pointing out that Brandon Adler, The Outer World's 2's director, commented on the fallout after the game's price reveal, saying that Xbox set the price and that he wishes everyone could play his game.

As Devine notes in his piece, the rising prices of Xbox Games Studio titles could be a strategy by Microsoft to drive Game Pass subscriptions.

I do love Game Pass and I consider it an excellent value, but not everyone wants another subscription fee coming out of their account every month.

Exchange rates don't make my wallet any heavier

I know the main argument against what I've written here involves exchange rates, but knowing that I'm paying less in other currencies doesn't make me any richer.

Without digging too deep into currency exchange, $80 USD equates roughly to $109 CAD with today's rate. So while we are technically getting a deal up here in the North, it certainly doesn't feel like it.

The UK/EU has also seen price increases recently, and the new £70 price tag (which includes taxes before checkout) for a game like TOW2 equates to about $129 CAD.

Yay, I guess?

How are you feeling about video game prices where you live? Let me know in the comments section below.

The Xbox Games Showcase 2025 just wrapped up for another year, spelling out what we can expect from the future of Xbox and PC gaming with a ton of announcements and reveals.

Of course, Xbox Game Pass was still a huge focus for Xbox's flagship show, with most of the shown titles confirmed to be heading to the popular gaming subscription service on day one.

• RELATED: Our LIVE coverage of Xbox Games Showcase 2025

There's no need to go hunting through the list of every game announced during Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase in 2025 — I'll highlight all the games confirmed to be heading to Xbox Game Pass right here.

The quick list: All 17 Xbox Game Pass announcements

To kick us off, here's a rapid rundown of all the Xbox Game Pass titles announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. To be precise, there are TK of them.

I'll follow this list with the trailers you want to see.

• The Outer Worlds 2 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) on Oct. 29, 2025
• High on Life 2 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in Winter 2025
• Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• Super Meat Boy 3D — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in early 2026
• NINJA GAIDEN 4 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) on Oct. 21, 2025
• Beast of Reincarnation — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• Clockwork Revolution — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)
• Grounded 2 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one in Game Preview) on Jul. 29, 2025
• Aphelion — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• There Are No Ghosts at the Grand — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) on Jul. 11, 2025
• At Fate's End — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) in 2026
• Gears of War Reloaded — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) on Aug. 26, 2025
• Persona 4 Revival — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one)
• Keeper — Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC & Ultimate on day one) on Oct. 17, 2025
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 — Xbox Series X|S Optimized & Xbox PC (PC & Ultimate on day one)

The Outer Worlds 2

High on Life 2

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

Super Meat Boy 3D

Ninja Gaiden 4

Beast of Reincarnation

Clockwork Revolution

Grounded 2

Aphelion

There are No Ghosts at the Grand

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4

At Fate's End

Gears of War Reloaded

Persona 4 Revival

Keeper

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Atlus has shown up for 2025's Xbox Games Showcase to announce a Persona 4 Remake appropriately titled 'Persona 4 Revival', which will be launching for Xbox Series X|S, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass at an undisclosed release date at this time.

There have recently been rumors and 'leaks' from former Persona 4 voice actors of the Persona 4 Remake's existence for a while now, but it's now been confirmed to be real through a teaser trailer.

The trailer doesn't show much other than ominous TVs and the main character exploring the town of Inaba.

What it does confirm is that Persona 4 Revival, much like Persona 3's remake 'Persona 3 Reload', will reimagine the original Persona 4 from the ground up with newly improved graphics.

So I'm predicting that, also like Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Revival will feature an entirely new voice cast for the characters, a refinement of the game's turn-based combat and Social Link systems, and more.

Reach out for the truth once more in the Persona 4 Remake

Persona 4 followed the adventures of a group of high-school kids attempting to track down a serial killer who's terrorizing their hometown of Inaba.

The only clues our heroes have to catching the killer lie in an alternate dimension called the Midnight Channel. However, the Midnight Channel is infested with horrible monsters called Shadows. Our heroes will need to wield a mysterious power called 'Personas' in order to defend themselves and explore the Midnight Channel to catch the killer before he strikes again.

The original Persona 4, released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, is considered by many critics and fans to be one of the best Persona games in the whole franchise. Some would even argue that Persona 4 is one of the best JRPGs Atlus has ever made, period, outshining modern titles like Persona 5 Royal and Metaphor: ReFantazio, despite being 17 years old.

This swansong title for PlayStation 2 JRPGs featured addictive gameplay, a cast of charming, likable characters with in-depth character arcs, mature themes of growing up and coming to terms with your inner demons, and an intriguing murder-mystery plot that kept players on the edge of their seats.

Now, a new generation of Xbox fans will get to experience this classic Atlus JRPG with shiny new graphics and refined gameplay when this upcoming Xbox title/upcoming PC title launches for Xbox Series X|S in the future.

The Alters is a story-driven action-survival game where you see the protagonist, Jan Dolski, fight for survival on a remote alien planet. Using a resource called Rapidium, Jan will create alternative versions of himself to help guide himself and the resources he must collect, to safely escape the planet's surface before the sun burns them all to a crisp.

Developed by 11 Bit Studios, The Alters is a choice-based, story-driven action-survival game (what a mouthful!) that will put your efficiency and decision-making skills to the ultimate test. From the very start, players are tasked with getting their large remote base moving to a distant location in the opposite direction of the oncoming sun.

You see, Jan's mission has gone wrong, and as a result, he finds himself alone on a distant planet—one where rescue is weeks away. To survive, Jan will make use of the rare element Rapidium to create alternate versions of himself, known as Alters, to escape the path of the oncoming planet's sun, which will burn him and his Alters if they're caught in its path.

These alerts come from different outcomes of past decisions Jan never made. Such as choosing to stand up to his abusive father, something the real Jan never did.

These actions created an alternative version of himself, known as the Technician, who never actually existed outside of the confines of a potential alternate reality.

If you want to know more, check out our preview from last month!

Multiplayer

The Alters is single-player, although it was initially conceived as a resource-oriented board game!

This year, several games have been released that could have implemented some form of multiplayer but opted not to, for all the right reasons. Games such as Avowed and DOOM: The Dark Ages are single-player games that previously had some sort of multiplayer component, either rumored or part of a previous game.

However, these games are delightful in their own right, and multiplayer would have only taken away from the experience. Much of the same could be said when it comes to The Alters, which would surely lose out on deep-narrative aspects if it included multiplayer.

However, never say never. You never know when a game might add some form of the coop or multiplayer component down the road, post-launch!

Release date

While the current release date is set in stone, that wasn't always the case for The Alters. The game was initially slated for a 2024 release, but it was delayed into the first quarter of 2025.

Following that delay, it was further pushed into the summer of 2025 and later defined as the date we now have, June 13, 2025.

Platforms

Currently, The Alters is slated for all ninth-generation consoles except the Switch. Even with the launch of the Switch 2, nothing has been announced for the platform.

However, never say never. If The Alters sees terrific numbers on their end, The Alters could likely see a release on the Switch 2, as it looks to see an increased number of third-party developers on the platform.

Game Pass

11 Bit Studios has had a deal in place over recent years that allows Xbox ecosystem gamers unfettered access to their games on Game Pass. These games include but are not limited to Moonlighter, Frostpunk 1, Frostpunk 2, This War of Mine: Final Cut, and upcoming games such as The Alters and Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.

The deal in place was initially announced in 2023 and further updated later in 2024. It allows for access to all 11 Bit Studio titles to be delivered to Game Pass, while "the rights to the Games will remain with the Company."

These sorts of deals are generally met with great praise. From the likes of Rebellion with Atomfall, Sega, and more, Game Pass has continued to be a success for many companies joining the program.

Cross-save

While cross-save has become a popular feature that plenty of gamers appreciate, it's not always part of games these days.

One such place where it's usually present is within the Game Pass platform. Games that are released across both Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S generally have the added feature of cross-save.

Play Anywhere

Some titles are available as part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative. However, Game Pass titles are far more likely to benefit from it.

The Alters is no different; like most of the 11 Bit Studios lineup in Game Pass, it will be part of the Play Anywhere program. Players who purchase The Alters on Xbox Series X|S or through the Xbox store will be able to play it on any Xbox platform.

Steam Deck

As reported in 2024 through The Alters demo, the game will be playable on Steam Deck. The only caveat is that players may have to play in Desktop mode when it launches.

If an update is available around the launch, I'll change the text here to reflect the fix. Currently, all we have to go on in their pinned post on the Steam forums is that they're aware of the issue and are looking to fix it.

Trailers

In an interview with GameDeveloper, the former head of PlayStation, Shuei Yoshida, had plenty to say about the climate of gaming subscriptions. Pointed readily at Game Pass, he took aim at the potential wall a gaming subscription can create for third-party creators.

"If the only way for people to play games is through subscriptions, that's really dangerous because what type of games can be created will be dictated by the owner of the subscription services," Yoshida said.

Continuing, he said, "That's really, really risky because there must always be fresh new ideas tried by small developers that create the next wave of development. But if the big companies dictate what games can be created, I don't think that will advance the industry."

While it's entirely valid to have concerns about anything in an industry currently plagued by layoffs and cancellations, from Sony, Microsoft, and lately EA, the argument for these services has been repeatedly showcased. Especially when it comes to ideas tried by small developers.

Off the top of my head (Because I'm too lazy to bring up lists), there are:

• Released games:
  • Lies of P
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Atomfall
  • Atomic Heart
  • Blue Prince
  • Tunic
• Upcoming games:
  • The Alters
  • WuChang: Fallen Feathers
  • Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault
  • Dead Static Drive
  • Lost in Random: The Eternal Die

These aren't your standard games in the industry. If anything, they're either entirely new ideas or callbacks to old, forgotten classics.

These are anything but normal games.

Side note: All these games are available for purchase, debunking the very notion that subscriptions are the only way to play. Subscriptions are simply an option, giving gamers the freedom to choose how and where they want to experience their games. For instance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to sell millions of copies, while DOOM attracts millions of players but sees fewer direct sales.

Even within Microsoft's first-party studios and publishing, they greenlight projects that most publishers could never, such as Grounded, Pentiment, South of Midnight, and more—giving new life to tried-and-true franchises while allowing them to explore unique gameplay aspects, like DOOM: The Dark Ages and its melee focus. To make such a statement with so many counter-arguments available seems silly.

Microsoft has continued to celebrate other games from smaller creators by bringing them into the Game Pass fold. Games that, before, were already standing on their own. These include but are not limited to Balatro, Buckshot Roulette, Vampire Survivors, Valheim, Brotato, and more.

Sure, one could argue that their popularity is what brought them to the service, but for every one of these titles on Game Pass, there is at least one that launched into the service and failed, or another that was saved by the service, such as Guardians of the Galaxy. Microsoft has not been afraid to add these types of games to the service, giving them at least some form of chance to succeed within Game Pass.

Don't believe me, listen to the actual developers

You have multiple developers who have praised Game Pass and its ability to reach a wide range of players.

Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley said, "Microsoft has been a fantastic partner to work with; they've really leaned into helping us. They brought their skills and their scale to bear on our small project, and it's done really, really well for them, so they got a good deal, we got a good deal out of it as well."

The list of developers praising the service and who continue to use it has expanded significantly over the last few years, with notable names like John Romero, the director of Lies of P, and even Sega, which continues to release its games day one on Game Pass.

As I said earlier, I understand the concerns, but until we see actual or continued evidence that this type of service is creating this walled garden, it comes across as nothing but 'crying wolf.' In a world where games like divisive Schedule I, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, R.E.P.O., or Bodycam continue to hit audiences left and right with outside-the-box ideas or indie development, I have to laugh.

But I digress, for I am but a freelance journalist who can only quote so many success stories before being told he's wrong anyway.

Sony's version is healthier, says former Sony guy

I'm sorry, Yoshida, but your way of thinking is antiquated. He went on to praise Sony's method because why wouldn't he?

"I believe the way Sony approached [subscriptions] is healthier. You know, not to overpromise and to allow people to spend money to buy the new games. After a couple of years, there won't be many people willing to buy those games at that initial price, so they'll be added to the subscription service, and there'll be more people to try in time for the next game in the franchise to come out."

It might be healthier for the Sony ecosystem, but it's hard to argue the value of its service over that of Game Pass. While Sony charges $18 a month compared to Microsoft's Game Pass Ultimate at $20 a month, I'd much rather pay an extra $2 to see first-party titles in the service.

To make matters worse, Sony regularly removes first-party titles from PlayStation Premium, like the recently deleted Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2, and Infamous: Second Son. All of these are much older games that haven't had a new series entry in years, countering Yoshida's claim entirely.

As a PlayStation Premium member myself, it's disheartening not to know which older first-party titles are available, as I see them being continuously removed. As a result, the value of the service deteriorates for me.

When I attended the 11 Bit Studios Preview event, much of the focus surrounded their upcoming Game Pass title, The Alters. While The Alters is turning out to be a terrific game, the reason I went to Poland was to get my hands on Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.

You see, I'm a fanatic when it comes to the roguelike genre. From top to bottom, this is the type of game I continue playing in my head long after I've turned it off for the night (or morning if you're a 4 AM gamer like myself).

That last death haunts me, cackling as it permeates my ego. I was ready to throw my controller, blaming the game's "unfair" traps, but let's be real—it's always the player's fault. These roguelikes like Hades, man, they'll humble you.

Which is what I freaking love. That overwhelming challenge that, even at its hardest, can be chipped away with every run.

Moonlighter 2 managed to crit-hit me right in the feels after just a few runs.

What is Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault?

If you're unfamiliar with the Moonlighter series (I can't believe I get to call it a series), it's time you educate yourself. The original managed to rack up over 2 million sales, so it's kind of a big deal!

Moonlighter is a roguelike dungeon crawler from the indie developer Digital Sun, with the first game being made entirely in 2D. While keeping most of the original mechanics intact, the next entry has transitioned to the realm of 3D.

The main loop is as follows: Enter a dungeon, grab loot, sell loot in your shop, and use that money to buy upgrades for both you and your store. Rinse and repeat.

That's right, a shop. In Moonlighter 2, your character sells their loot through their own merchant store. Placing items looted from the dungeon on your tables allows these items to be sold to incoming customers.

Use that cash to purchase some upgrades and make your overall experience both smoother and more efficient. Getting that cash starts the moment you complete your first dungeon level.

So far, there are three dungeons to choose from, each with quite a few levels and bosses to defeat. Each milestone passed means earning a bigger and better haul. In every area, you'll have the chance to leave with what spoils you've acquired up to that point. Using an item called the Medallion will transfer your adventurer back to the main village, safe and full of goodies.

While this loop is entirely similar to the first game, every section has been completely overhauled for a better and more addicting experience.

Why the move to 3D was the right move

First, for returning fans of Moonlighter, let's address the tension over the shift from 2D to 3D. Suppose you browse the forums on Reddit and Steam. In that case, you might come across a passionate fanbase that seems rather split over the decision.

I get the initial confusion over the direction. Many players loved the 2D, old-school dungeon crawler theme. It was a work of art that captured the hearts of well over two million players. So, why change?

I spoke with Digital Sun Games Design Director Luis Pérez and PR lead Isra Mallén about why the shift was made.

Luis said, "We know that our pixel art was gorgeous, our team is amazing, and we wanted to see if we could meet the expectations of the jump without losing any of the charm. I think maybe this is a little biased. But I think that the art team did an amazing job."

He continued, saying they wanted to improve the overall experience and that 3D offered the best chance at accomplishing that: "Moonlighter needed to be updated and improved, and combat was one of our big priorities."

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault definitely benefits combat-wise, thanks to the 3D transition. In Moonlighter 1, I often missed an enemy while off by just a few pixels. Sure, this could have been fixed with a simple hitbox expansion, but bringing the sequel into a three-dimensional space adds a layer of crisis the first game didn't have.

Luis explained, "We wanted to try to make it deeper and bring more emergency to the combat. For example, Mage Seeker had deeper combat, and we took a lot of that learning into this one, too."

Isra Mallén added, "It felt like the combat had to be there, but it wasn't a main pillar in Moonlighter 1. The first game was simpler in a lot of ways. This is the first time we are doing a proper combat system clearly thought of for Moonlighter only. It's very unique to us."

Bringing a burn to merchant gaming

Speaking of overhauls, the merchant system has seen a glow-up in ways I didn't even realize I wanted. I'm having fun selling items again!

In the old system, players would sell off items at an estimated price that would either start off grossly over or under the amount customers were willing to pay. Over, and you just pissed someone off. Under, and you left money on the table.

The new system chucks this guesswork out and instead lists the price of the item outright from the moment you pick it up. The cost of items is determined not only by their initial value but also by the new burn mechanics.

Items can still be destroyed if placed in the incorrect position, but this time, there's meaning behind it. Certain burn items will increase the price depending on the corresponding text requirement listed.

For example, I came across an item that, when burned, would copy itself. Combining this with other burn mechanics that would increase the price of adjacent items, you could create a cascading effect leading to an original item worth 150 coins becoming 400 while doubling it to 800.

Planning your inventory is somehow.. fun? What sorcery is this?

Bringing items back to the merchant tables also brings on another round of minigames to accomplish. Players get access to both boosts and charms.

Boosts raise the price by a standard amount, starting at 50 gold. Charms will raise it by 10%. So, a log worth 1 coin would be worth 51 coins after a boost, but it would remain the same price if you used a charm. After each sale, you gain either a charm or a boost at random.

These effects can be increased, too. After a certain number of sales, players will be gifted the choice of perks from the storefront. These perks grant increases to both boosts and charms monetarily and use-wise. Some perks will grant the ability to double down and use two or even three boosts or charms on a sellable item.

When used in combination with items worth a lot of gold, you'll quickly hit absurd sale prices when done right.

• DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month memberships are just $26.19 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for a steep discount

Combat and Dungeon Crawling — A Moonlighter 2 special

In Moonlighter 1, combat felt more like a wait-and-see game. Players could time enemy attacks by backpedaling or shifting to the side after baiting a shot from another foe. There was undoubtedly a strategy for combat, but the "emergency," as Luis described, is distinctive to Moonlighter 2.

Immediately, you can expect that refined combat experience to pay off the first time you enter a dungeon. Swinging, dodging, and shooting all mixed into one brings a level of satisfaction I never found in the original game, and I treasured the first game!

In Endless Vaults, every run managed to trigger this addictive adrenaline rush. It sounds like some kid is going off about Apex Legends or some twitch-shooter FPS title, but I'm not.

Moonlighter 2 maintains its predecessor's original strategy while showcasing a more reward-oriented combat design. For instance, thanks to the attention paid to combat, Digital Sun has concocted a new stun system.

When keeping the strain on larger enemies and lowering their health past the midway point, players can launch these foes into various effects. Turning a single enemy toward a cliff will "eject" them from the arena while launching them into a crowd will cause damage and a knockback effect.

These stuns can only be taken advantage of with close-quarters weapons but can be triggered by long-range options. Speaking of, Moonlighter 2 looks to balance the combat distance by allowing the player to bring in both melee and ranged armaments.

In my preview, I was only allowed a look at a few melee weapons: a broom, sword, and gauntlets. However, I was also given a ranged pistol that marks one of at least four options available to players.

The addition of ranged weaponry provided dynamism I didn't realize I needed in my Moonlighter. From moment to moment, I was constantly piling on the damage, no matter the distance, while dodging enemy attacks. You'll need every gadget at your disposal if you're going to take on these larger dungeons.

Dungeons retain some of the original's segmented structure, guiding players through distinct areas that lead to compelling bosses. However, they've added a new mechanic between rooms, making floor clearing a more strategic affair.

Rather than aimlessly navigating to find the correct path to a boss, defeating all foes in an area rewards you with a treasure chest and a choice of multiple routes forward, making room clearing more impactful.

Each treasure chest can contain loot or perks to choose from, depending on the room type you picked leading into the area. I'll cover loot in the next section, but perks change entire runs depending on what you manage to roll for choices.

Some can offer extra ranged damage at the cost of ammo, while others boost crit chance or damage. They can vary depending on the perk rarity, which tends to increase the further you progress in a dungeon. In my playthrough, I managed to make it about a third of the way through the dungeon, where I ran into the first boss.

Boss battle

Time was dwindling. Well, technically, it was five past the hour, and people had already started packing up their stuff. However, as I just said, little old me had finally made it to the boss. Was I going to quit now? Hell no.

I had dealt with the first boss in Moonlighter dungeons before; they were always a cakewalk. They were usually some sort of warm-up to the mechanics of bosses in the area. Damn, was I wrong.

This thing was punishing. Time and time again, it would blast sound waves and bombs in my direction. Pushing the limits of my infinite dodge button to the max.

Occasionally, the boss would lay a grenade out for me to punch back in its direction. I'd slap-hazardly send it back toward its shields, breaking them down over time. Once I finally dropped those suckers, it was time to lay the punishment on. My little sword was doing all the damage it could with every swing, watching a ticking-time bomb arriving in the form of the boss standing up again.

Suddenly, we weren't alone. Once the boss regained its composure, it sent a plethora of enemies at me while recommencing the barrage of aerial attacks.

Five minutes in, and it was pretty damn clear this wasn't the same kind of boss fight I was used to in Moonlighter 2. This was an entirely different beast, one that was testing not only my skills but also my consistency and patience.

One mistake meant the loss of 10 to 20 health, which I had no way of getting back since I had managed to make it here with only two potions. Unfortunately, I'm down to 8 health. Any hit at this point means the end.

We repeat this dance several times, completely avoiding any and all damage. This is my moment. Then, out of nowhere, the boss destroys the part of the cover I was using to dodge his attacks.

It's time to lock in.

Another round, and the boss is down to the last bit of health. Two more waves of attack dodging, and I'm free to slaughter this nightmare.

I make it through the next wave, where he destroys the last bit of cover I owned in this boss arena. My only choice is to roll through the attacks, utilizing my iframes like a FromSoftware god.

Then it hits. The grenade I missed out of the corner of my eye. The merchant falls lifelessly to the ground below, red covering the screen.

A shout and a smile come across my entire body, and I shake my head briefly, realizing I could only blame myself. I had spammed one too many dodge-rolls and had hurled myself directly into an explosion. I look around, and the room is empty of all press and media. The only people behind me were a handful of developers who had been silently cheering me on while I took on a nearly 15-minute boss battle.

I apologize, not for being late to get off their game, but for letting them down. However, victory for them was never in the form of a boss kill, but the beaming smile Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault put on my face.

• DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month memberships are just $26.19 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for a steep discount

Summary

Walking away from the table, I quickly caught up with some of the other media members at the event and started ranting about my experience. At this point, it wasn't about learning or sharing information but about gushing over something that far surpassed my expectations.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault somehow manages to make every little mechanic from the original far more engaging and satisfying while respecting the legacy of Moonlighter. From the mercantile minigame, emergency-driven combat, and inventory management simulator, Moonlighter 2 is on a path bound for success.

If someone were to ask me, "Hey, Mike, should I play the first game before playing the sequel?" I'd tell them not to worry because Moonlighter 2 is just that much better, from beginning to death.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault releases on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and PlayStation 5 summer 2025.

The Alters is on Xbox Game Pass!

The Alters was originally announced during the PC Gaming Show in 2022. Since then, we've seen snippets of gameplay from 11 Bit Studios, along with an upcoming preview that media and content creators were part of. More to come soon!

• DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month memberships are just $26.79 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for a steep discount

The Alters looks absolutely stunning, especially considering that it only costs a measly $35! In a gaming world that will soon be ravaged by the likes of $80 games, seeing a reasonable price tag like this is superb .

The Alters can be played on both PC Game Pass (Windows PC) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Xbox, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming) tiers.

You'll be able to play on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Windows PC through your Game Pass subscription. So, no matter the platform, as long as it's an Xbox, you can play it through Game Pass!

Don't have Game Pass? You can pick up the Alters on sale before launch!

Short on a Game Pass subscription, but you still want to pick up The Alters? We have you covered.

While The Alters costs only $35, it can already be had for a little less: $33.19 on CDKeys, and you'll have yourself a Steam code.

If you're looking for a deal on the Xbox version, we don't have anything for it just yet. However, we'll keep you updated if any of that changes in the future.