Xbox has made some major headlines within the past week, between finalizing its acquisition of Bethesda and adding 20 of its most beloved titles to Xbox Game Pass, to securing Square Enix's Outriders as a day 1 title for the subscription service. It seems nothing can stop Microsoft's growth of the service. One announcement nobody expected was that Toby Fox's iconic cult indie RPG Undertale will be joining Game Pass tomorrow, marking its debut on Xbox consoles.
Undertale first released in September 2015 for PC and became an immediate cult phenomenon, spawning one of the most dedicated fanbases for a indie game in gaming history. The game was met with resounding critical and commercial success for its unique combat system, which allowed players to converse with enemies to avoid combat altogether, a feature inspired by the Shin Megami Tensei series. The game has become one of the biggest indie titles ever, with Sans, one of the game's supporting characters and bosses, even appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC Mii costume.
Undertale was ported to PS4 and PS Vita in 2017 with a physical release from Fangamer and a full Japanese localization, while a Nintendo Switch port followed in 2018. While this seemed to be the end for Undertale's ports, as the game's follow-up Deltarune Chapter 1 released in 2018, Microsoft released a surprise trailer revealing that not only is Undertale coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X tomorrow, March 16, it's also joining Xbox Game Pass and even coming with some exclusive content.
In a blog post released on Xbox Wire, John Ricciardi of 8-4, one of the teams behind the game's console ports, revealed that there is a shrine somewhere in the game that is exclusive to the Xbox versions of Undertale. No other information has been revealed, however it is briefly teased in the hilarious announcement trailer. The Xbox Wire post also reveals that this Xbox version is not compatible with the PC version featured on the Microsoft Store due to the Xbox version's exclusive content. The trailer also reveals that Fangamer will once again be distributing a physical release of the game in the future.
Undertale coming to Xbox Game Pass is yet another example of Microsoft bringing a beloved title previously out of Xbox players' reach to the service for fans to experience for the first time, similar to its approach with Sega's Yakuza series. Microsoft has also ramped up its commitment to bringing indie titles to the platform, with titles such as 12 Minutes and The Good Life set to launch on the service later this year, while previous titles such as Outer Wilds and Streets of Rage 4 have seen huge success in joining the service at launch. Hopefully 8-4 follows this port up with a port of Deltarune Chapter 1 and more information on the game's second chapter soon.
Undertale is now available for PC, PS4, PS Vita, and Switch. The game will launch for Xbox One and Xbox Series X on March 16.
Source: Xbox Wire