Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service had a stellar year in 2021 with numerous high profile games making their debut through Game Pass. One of the ways that Microsoft makes Xbox Game Pass a must-have service for gamers on Xbox One and Xbox Series X is by releasing all of its own games as day one titles, meaning subscribers can check out the latest blockbusters without paying the usual asking price.

This paid off in a big way in 2021, as some of the biggest and most critically-acclaimed games of the year were Xbox-published titles that were released through Game Pass on day one. This includes the likes of Psychonauts 2, a platformer that earned widespread acclaim for its storytelling and art, as well as Forza Horizon 5, an open world racing game that stands out as the highest-rated new video game release of 2021 period.

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And of course, one can't forget Halo Infinite, which helped cap off 2021 as easily the best year that Xbox Game Pass has seen to date. And while Microsoft has yet to reveal the full scope of its 2022 plans, we do already know of over 30 day one Xbox Game Pass games that will be available to subscribers as soon as they launch, including two titles that are Xbox-owned games.

Xbox Game Pass Games for 2022

Bethesda Starfield Box Art
  • The Anacrusis - January 13
  • Pupperazzi - January 20
  • Windjammers 2 - January 20
  • Shredders - February
  • Edge of Eternity - February 10
  • Total War: Warhammer 3 - February 17
  • Weird West - March 31
  • Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Spring
  • STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl - April 28
  • Midnight Fight Express - Summer
  • Redfall - Summer
  • Scorn - October
  • Starfield - November 11
  • A Plague Tale: Requiem - 2022
  • Atomic Heart - 2022
  • Bushiden - 2022
  • Chinatown Detective Agency - 2022
  • Crusader Kings 3 - 2022
  • Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising - 2022
  • Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery - 2022
  • Hello Neighbor 2 - 2022
  • Loot River - 2022
  • Nobody Saves The World - 2022
  • Party Animals - 2022
  • Pigeon Simulator - 2022
  • Replaced - 2022
  • Signalis - 2022
  • Slime Rancher 2 - 2022
  • Sniper Elite 5 - 2022
  • Somerville - 2022
  • Trek to Yomi - 2022

As it stands, there are only two Xbox-owned games that are confirmed to be coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2022 at the time of this writing, though that number will almost certainly grow in the near future. First up is Redfall, developed by Arkane Studios. Redfall is a co-op game about vampires, and since Arkane is best known for its single-player experiences, it will definitely be interesting to see how it stacks up when it comes to Xbox Game Pass in the summer of 2022.

Not enough of Redfall has been shown for fans to truly know what to expect from it, and the same goes for the other Xbox-owned game confirmed for Game Pass in 2022, Starfield. Bethesda is confident that the Starfield release date of November 11, 2022 will be met, though like Redfall, not much of the game has been shown off just yet. However, that should change in the months ahead.

Bethesda has not shown any Starfield gameplay footage, but it has offered a CGI trailer to set the tone of the story and has shown off plenty of concept art. The Starfield concept art tease an ambitious open world game with varied environments for players to explore, though the jury is still out on whether or not it will enthrall players like some of Bethesda's previous efforts have managed to do. There have been some bumps in the road, but Bethesda still has a pretty impressive track record and smart money is on Starfield living up to the hype.

starfield astronaut

Besides Redfall and Starfield, it's likely that another Bethesda-published, Xbox-owned game will hit Xbox Game Pass in 2022. Nothing official has been announced at the time of this writing, but it's almost certain that current PS5 console exclusive Deathloop will hit Xbox Game Pass before the year is out as a day one release.

And while there aren't many Xbox-owned games confirmed for release on Game Pass in 2022 just yet, there are other console exclusives that fans can look forward to next year. For example, co-op shooter The Anacrusis launches in early access on January 13 on Xbox Game Pass as an Xbox console exclusive, and first-person horror game Scorn will launch in October.

Microsoft likes to announce Xbox Game Pass games in two batches every month so fans know what's coming in the next couple weeks without much focus beyond that. Considering this, there are likely many other Xbox Game Pass games waiting in the wings, but subscribers will just have to wait to find out exactly what they are. In the meantime, three games are currently confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in January 2022, consisting of the aforementioned Anacrusis on January 13, and Pupperazzi and Windjammers 2 on January 20.

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