Far Cry 6, Rise of the Tomb Raider, SteamWorld Build, and more come to Xbox Game Pass, while Xbox Game Pass Core gets its first new games

Xbox Game Pass December 2023
(Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft has shared that a number of games are coming to Xbox Game Pass throughout December, including Far Cry 6 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. 
  • Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2 are also now in Xbox Game Pass, and are already live. 
  • Xbox Game Pass Core (previously Xbox Live Gold) is getting Chivalry 2 and Totally Reliable Delivery Service.

One last batch of games are on the way to close out Xbox Game Pass in 2023. 

Unlike the usual strategy of splitting things up into two waves, Microsoft has instead opted to just launch all the December 2023 Xbox Game Pass additions at once, as shared via Xbox Wire. A couple of new games are already available, with Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2 being added late Wednesday night.

More games are coming soon, with Ubisoft's open-world adventure Far Cry 6 alongside Rise of the Tomb Raider, the second entry in the more recent Tomb Raider reboot trilogy. Xbox Game Pass Core, the new name for Xbox Live Gold, is also getting a couple of new games, with subscribers able to access Chivalry 2 and Totally Reliable Delivery Service. Here's when all these games are launching into Xbox Game Pass:

Today (but really last night)

  • Remnant: From the Ashes (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)
  • Remnant 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

December 1

  • Spirit of the North (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)
  • SteamWorld Build (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

December 5

  • Clone Drone in the Danger Zone (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)
  • While the Iron's Hot (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)
  • World War Z: Aftermath (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

December 6

  • Chivalry 2 - Xbox Game Pass Core 
  • Totally Reliable Delivery Service - Xbox Game Pass Core

December 7

  • Goat Simulator 3 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

December 8

  • Against the Storm (Windows PC)

December 12

  • Tin Hearts (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

December 14 

  • Far Cry 6 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC)

Leaving December 15

As always, there's a handful of games that are leaving Xbox Game Pass halfway through the month. If you want to continue playing these titles, you'll need buy them, and you get a discount for buying them before they leave the subscription catalogue. Here's the games saying farewell:

  • Chained Echoes
  • Opus Magnum 
  • Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator 
  • Rubber Bandits 

Analysis: Strong end to a solid year

This is a fairly great mix of games to close out the year with, and announcing them all at once instead of drip-feeding through a month in which many people will be busy with the holidays is a good idea. I still haven't played Far Cry 6 or Remnant 2, so both of those games are at the top of my list for this month. 

Looking ahead into 2024, it'll be interesting to see when Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard starts to bear fruit and we see (at least) some older titles make their way into the service forever. 

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.