As Microsoft rolls out a cheaper Xbox Game Pass, it says day-one games might not come to the new Standard version for "12 months or more" – if they do at all
Sep. 11, 2024Game Pass Standard “will not” immediately get day-one releases included in the pricier tiers
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
In a statement toKotaku, Microsoft declined to commit to adding these missing games and future day-one releases to the Standard Game Pass tier, saying it’s possible for them to be added at a future date that could be a year or more out.
“New day one games available with Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass will not be immediately available with Game Pass Standard and may be added to the library at a future date,” reads the statement. “This could be up to 12 months or more and will vary by title.” The key word here is “may,” as this leaves the door open for such games to never come to Standard.
In July, Xbox revealed the Game Pass price changes that are going into effect for existing subscribers this week. The increase comes alongside a brand new Standard plan that replaces the existing Console plan and removes the long-running perk of getting certain new Xbox games on release day. This perk only jumped in value with the confirmation ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one –a first for the series and a major push from Microsoft.
Shortly after its reveal,the US Federal Trade Commission called the Standard plan a “degraded product"and said it’s “exactly the sort of consumer harm” it said would result from theXbox Activision merger.Microsoft soon hit back and called the FTC’s statement “misleading”, pointing to the fact that the Standard plan includes online multiplayer – something the now-defunct Console tier didn’t.
Microsoft has been vague about when the Standard plan will get the day-one releases included with the Game Pass Ultimate and PC plans, and this latest messaging does little to clear anything up. At best, we can now expect a hefty wait. It sounds like a case-by-case situation where some of them will be staggered to hit the lesser plans at a later date, and others simply may not ever be added.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
In the meantime, here are thebest games on Game Passfor Xbox and PC right now.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
Xbox teases “something little is coming,” pushing community manager to immediately shut down handheld and “Xbox 720” speculation
“It seems we’ve missed the mark”: As their Steam review score drops to 14%, Dauntless devs wade into feedback after a disastrous update that gutted progress
A month after approving free versions of Unreal games that “started it all,” Fortnite creator Epic shouts out a group of fan devs “for their continued support in keeping the legacy alive”
