For JRPG fans, one of the most exciting upcoming games is undoubtedly Tales of Arise. The latest game in the long-running Tales of franchise, Tales of Arise is meant to revitalize the series, and so there is a great deal of hype for it. Recently, Tales of Arise's release date was confirmed alongside the existence of next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game, though it seems those on Xbox may have some options when it comes to playing it.
Industry insider and Xbox Era podcast host Shpeshal_Ed responded to news of Tales of Arise's PS5 and Xbox Series X versions by saying, "I wonder what else it might be launching on?" While this comment can be interpreted in different ways, the assumption is that they are referring to Xbox Game Pass. Assuming that is indeed what's being teased by the tweet, it seems as though Tales of Arise fans on Xbox One and Xbox Series X may very well get to play the game on day one through Game Pass instead of paying full price for it.
Before Tales of Arise fans get too excited, though, they should take this information with a grain of salt. Shpeshal_Ed has accurately leaked information in the past, most recently leaking some of the free PS Plus games for May 2021, but even so, it's better to wait for an official announcement. Shpeshal_Ed is also not outright saying that Tales of Arise is in fact coming to Xbox Game Pass, and so fans should keep that in mind as well.
If Tales of Arise is coming to Xbox Game Pass when it launches on September 10, it will be yet another huge game coming to the service in the Fall. Previously, Shpeshal_Ed suggested that the new Battlefield game is coming to Xbox Game Pass on its launch day as well, though that also has yet to be proven. With both Tales of Arise and Battlefield 6 expected to launch later this year, fans should find out within a few months if Shpeshal_Ed can be trusted when it comes Xbox Game Pass leaks.
While it's unclear if Tales of Arise is truly coming to Xbox Game Pass, there are some other big Fall 2021 games that are confirmed for the service. The most notable is easily Halo Infinite, which was originally meant to launch alongside the Xbox Series X console last year. Halo Infinite is being positioned as Xbox's big holiday 2021 release, and it releasing on Game Pass should prove to be a massive boon for the service.
Microsoft's efforts with Xbox Game Pass have been paying off, as the Xbox Game Pass subscriber count has grown exponentially. If Microsoft continues to sign major deals for Xbox Game Pass games, then 2021 should be the biggest year for the service to date.
Tales of Arise launches September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.