Xbox Game Pass has become one of the most popular services in gaming over time. With a steady flow of great additions that includes AAA and indie titles, Game Pass continues to be the most valuable and viable option for gamers. 2021 is set to be a big year for Game Pass with titles such as Halo Infinite on the horizon. However, there's always room to surprise its ever-growing audience.
Xbox Game Pass has seen some big additions in the last year that nobody saw coming. This includes titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, which was available for a brief amount of time. While Bethesda's deal is yet to be finalized, the addition of Doom Eternal indicated that things are indeed in motion. And so Game Pass continues to surprise every so often with big additions that possibly no one expected, and it's reasonable to expect more on the horizon. Many of these probably won't make the cut some day, but it would be interesting if they did.
To be clear, there is no indication these games ever would come to Game Pass, but a selection of popular games where an addition to Game Pass would be both beneficial for that game and the Xbox ecosystem.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The upcoming Mass Effect Legendary Edition is set to be the definitive way to experience Commander Shepard's fight for humanity. The original series garnished widespread popularity in its time and is still one of the most beloved franchises in gaming. With the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition right around the corner, it's the perfect time to revisit or start a new journey in this sci-fi epic.
The Legendary Edition comes packed with the original Mass Effect trilogy and 40 DLCs, all remastered in 4K Ultra HD. It's also important to note that this version of the Mass Effect Trilogy is a remaster of these titles, not a full-blown remake. Considering how the original trilogy is already a part of Game Pass via EA Play, it makes sense if the enhanced version of these titles is also added to it in the future. One to thing to note, though, is that it would likely be some time after launch. After all, those who have it pre-ordered or buy it day one would likely be quite upset if it released on Game Pass even a month later.
Control Ultimate Edition
Control Ultimate Edition just released for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It comes packed with next-gen features such as the performance mode, which allows the game to run at 60 FPS while rendering it at 1440p, and a graphics mode that runs the game at 30 FPS with ray tracing and 1440p resolution. The standard edition of Control was recently added to Game Pass; however, that version of the game runs on the next-gen consoles via backward compatibility.
Unlike the Control Ultimate Edition, the standard edition also doesn't come bundled with the game's two expansions, The Foundation and AWE. With the game being available for free on PS5, as part of February's PS Plus lineup, it would seem appropriate if the same version would make its way to the Game Pass. Moreover, a Game Pass addition could make up for the lack of free next-gen upgrade from Remedy, which would make some long-time fans really happy.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077's launch may have been a troubling one, but it is still a commercial success. With an underwhelming performance on base consoles, many people are still confused whether now is the right time to get the game. While CDPR has clarified that it has no plans to bring Cyberpunk 2077 on Game Pass, there are quite many reasons as to why it should.
For starters, it would allow hesitant fans to try and check the game's performance on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and then decide on a purchase later, if it were to be removed. Right after its release, Cyberpunk 2077 was removed from PlayStation Store because of the game's poor optimization. While Xbox hasn't removed the game, it issued a warning in the Xbox store in regards to the game's performance. Game Pass has been a great platform for video games that had a disastrous launch but were vastly improved with subsequent patches. No Man's Sky is a perfect example of this. For the people who don't own the game, keeping track of how much a game has been improved since launch is difficult and could easily be eradicated if it's part of Game Pass. While Cyberpunk 2077 may not really come to Game Pass anytime soon, the availability of The Witcher 3 on Game Pass indicates that such addition in the future is quite possible.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the latest entry on the franchise, iterating upon what was set forth by Origins and Odyssey. Like its two predecessors, it features a gorgeous and massive open world that, this time around, has players exploring ninth-century England. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is not only one of the best looking games currently available on Xbox Series X/S, but it's also the one that takes advantage of next-gen exclusive features such as raytracing and 60 FPS mode.
Related: The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass
While there have been rumors about Ubisoft+ being added to Game Pass, the company has yet to confirm or even hint towards such an occurrence. However, if it so happens to be the case, Game Pass users would be getting a great lineup of Ubisoft titles to choose from, potentailly even Assassin's Creed Valhalla, that could showcase the power of the next-gen console.
Elden Ring
Miyazaki and Martin's collaboration resulted in Elden Ring, a game that has notoriously yet to hit the shelves. While information regarding this most wanted FromSofware action RPG is paper-thin at the moment, recent rumors suggest that the game is in its final stage of development. Xbox has been on good terms with FromSofware in the past, as is indicated by the reveal of Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring, both of which happened at Microsoft's E3 stage.
Interestingly, Xbox head Phil Spencer also had a chance to try Elden Ring, and according to him, it's Miyazaki's most ambitious game to date. While Xbox is shaping up to be the house of Western RPGs with the likes of Fable, Avowed, and Starfield, it wouldn't be surprising if Xbox would want to change things up a bit and sprout up a deal with FromSoftware to bring a Japanese RPG Elden Ring to Game Pass, even if it's for a short amount of time.
With Microsoft currently on a purchasing spree, it's only a matter of time that more popular franchises make their way to Game Pass. In its latest earnings call, Microsoft revealed that its subscription service has surpassed 18 million subscribers. Such a humongous number clearly indicates the company's sincerity and dedication towards building a library of titles that are accessible for players, and even short stints with big titles are beneficial for Xbox fans.