Xbox Game Pass may have just become the best deal in gaming. In a recent post, Microsoft confirmed the monthly subscription service will now include brand new releases from first-party studios the same day they hit store shelves. This means you’ll be able to play all the new first-party games for one monthly price.
For $9.99 per month, subscribers will get access to Sea of Thieves when it releases on March 20. Subscribers will also get Crackdown 3 and State of Decay 2 upon release later this year. All future first-party releases will be included in the program, such as the new Forza, Halo, and Gears of War games if/when those are announced.
The first party releases are in addition to new games that are added to Xbox Game Pass every month. The new games coming in February include Halo Wars 2, Fable Anniversary and NBA 2K17, for a total of 172 games included on the service.
Of course, like the other games in Xbox Game Pass, players don’t own these new games. Xbox Game Pass allows subscribers to download and play any included game for as long as they want, but will lose access once a subscription isn’t renewed. Subscribers will be able to hold onto save files to pick right back up where the game was left off if the subscription is renewed or the game is purchased.
Additionally, Microsoft is working with retail partners to offer longer subscription times. As of right now, subscribers can only sign up for the monthly rate of $9.99 per month, but starting on March 20, a six-month subscription card will be available at GameStop. Signing up for six months will cost $59.99, which is actually a very slightly worse deal than sticking to the monthly fee. Six months at $9.99 equals $59.94, which is five cents less than the six-month card.
So what do you think? Are you going to sign up for the service now that new releases will be included at launch? Will it take something else to get your subscription? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
