4 months have passed since Microsoft dropped the bombshell that it would be acquiring Bethesda and incorporating all of its studios into Xbox Game Studios, with all of Bethesda's future titles launching on Xbox Game Pass moving forward. The announcement came on the eve of Xbox Series X/S pre-orders going live and rightfully ended up becoming one of the biggest video game-related announcements of 2020.
Now that the dust has settled and the two companies are likely moving to finalize the agreement, fans are finally beginning to see some of Bethesda's back-catalogue join the subscription service. From Doom Eternal's introduction into Xbox Game Pass in October to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim joining the service just a few weeks ago, fans are finally beginning to see the first benefit from Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.
While Betheda has had a great relationship with Xbox Game Pass since the service's launch in 2017, with many of the studio's biggest releases such as Fallout: New Vegas, Dishonored 2, The Elder Scrolls: Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and Fallout 76 already having joined the series over the course of the past 3 years, with even more having come and gone, there are still many games under the studio's wing that have never made their way to the platform. This includes games like Fallout 4 which seem to be coming back soon, but there are still some which have never gotten their time in the sun.
The Evil Within/The Evil Within 2
One of the most underrated studios under Bethesda's wing is Tango GameWorks, the studio behind The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2. Founded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, Tango GameWorks is one of the most promising new studios to stem from Japan in recent years, and its upcoming action-horror game Ghostwire: Tokyo (a timed PS5 console exclusive) is one of the most anticipated horror games of 2021.
The first Evil Within title received polarizing reviews, with many disappointed that it failed to recapture the magic of Mikami's revolutionary Resident Evil 4. Yet, The Evil Within 2, while far from a commercial success, has gained a very dedicated cult following, with many referring to it as one of the greatest horror games of the PS4/Xbox One generation. While Ghostwire: Tokyo will likely come to Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S after its PlayStation 5 exclusivity window has closed, adding The Evil Within and its sequel to Xbox Game Pass would likely provide an excellent entryway for fans to catch up with the series, perhaps even opening the door for an Evil Within 3 in the future.
Dishonored: Definitive Edition/Death of the Outsider
Arkane Studios is in a very similar situation as Tango GameWorks when it comes to its upcoming title, Deathloop, which is another timed PlayStation 5 console exclusive set to release on May 21, 2021. Arkane's titles have not had the greatest sales performances since Bethesda's acquisition of the studio in 2010, with the Dishonored series and 2017's Prey also underperforming commercially yet creating a very dedicated cult following.
Dishonored 2 is currently available on Game Pass, and Prey has come and gone from the service a number of times in the past few years. Yet, Dishonored: Definitive Edition and the standalone Dishonored 2 expansion, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, would be excellent additions to Xbox Game Pass approaching Deathloop's arrival on Xbox Series X. Perhaps this move would once again breathe new life into the series, possibly paving the way for Dishonored 3.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
One Bethesda developer that has gone silent is Machine Games, which is likely working on the next installment in the Wolfenstein reboot series first introduced with 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order. That game is yet another Bethesda title that has entered and exited Xbox Game Pass over the years, and its sequels Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and Wolfenstein: Youngblood are currently part of the service. However, one title that has not yet made its way to Xbox Game Pass is Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is another standalone expansion release that has not made its way to Xbox Game Pass yet is crucial to fully experiencing the new Wolfenstein saga. This title, which acts as a prequel to The New Order, is a seven hour jump back into the shoes of B.J. Blazkowicz as he infiltrates Castle Wolfenstein, a throwback to the origins of the revolutionary shooter series. Once again, if Machine Games is planning on returning to the world of Wolfenstein for one more installment, it's a no brainier to bring the missing link between The New Order and The New Colossus to Xbox Game Pass first and foremost.
While there are many other Bethesda titles still to come to Xbox Game Pass, many of which will be making their return to the platform such as Fallout 4, Doom 2016, Fallout 3, RAGE, and Prey, these are some titles that have not yet graced Microsoft's subscription service that are likely to join throughout 2020.