Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service has been on a tear, constantly adding high profile new games to the service and establishing itself as a must-have for Xbox console owners. There's serious momentum behind Xbox Game Pass and it doesn't look as though things will be slowing down anytime soon.
Xbox Game Pass has kicked off 2022 with a bang, with numerous new games added to the subscription service in January. The new Xbox Game Pass games for January 2022 have already included day one releases and the addition of older critically-acclaimed games of all genres, giving everyone something to try.
While Xbox Game Pass has already had an impressive January 2022, next week is shaping up to be the biggest for the subscription service in 2022 so far. Thursday, January 20 in particular is set to be a big day for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, and fans don't even know everything that's coming on that day yet.
New Xbox Game Pass Games January 2022
- Gorogoa - January 4
- Olija - January 4
- The Pedestrian - January 4
- Embr - January 6
- Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass) - January 6
- Outer Wilds - January 6
- Spelunky 2 - January 13
- The Anacrusis - January 13
- Nobody Saves the World - January 18
- Pupperazzi - January 20
- Rainbow Six Extraction - January 20
- Windjammers 2 - January 20
Microsoft has established a clear pattern when it comes to how it reveals new Xbox Game Pass games. It usually starts the month off by highlighting the new Xbox Game Pass games that will be coming in the next two weeks, and then in the middle of the month, it reveals the new Xbox Game Pass comes coming in the second half. Due to this, fans know all of the new Xbox Game Pass games coming in the first half of January 2022, but don't know nearly as much about the new Game Pass comes coming in the second half.
But while Microsoft itself is waiting to reveal the full slate of new Xbox Game Pass games coming in the second half of January 2022, release date announcements by other companies already give fans an idea of what to expect. And so even without knowing everything that may be coming to Xbox Game Pass on January 20, subscribers already know of three day one Xbox Game Pass games that will be hitting the service that day.
One of the main reasons to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass is to get access to brand new, day one releases and January 20 will have three for subscribers to check out. The day one Xbox Game Pass games coming on January 20 are headlined by Rainbow Six: Extraction, the latest entry in Ubisoft's long-running first-person shooter franchise.
For the most part, the Rainbow Six games have stuck with PvP as their primary focus, but Rainbow Six Extraction is taking things in a different direction. Rainbow Six Extraction is instead a 4-player co-op PvE experience, with players banding together to complete missions and take out hordes of alien creatures. It's quite the departure from the more realistic tone that the other Rainbow Six games go for, but it should be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Rainbow Six Extraction is risky because of how different it is going to be compared to other games in the series, but that really makes it the perfect kind of game for Xbox Game Pass. This way, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can try Rainbow Six Extraction without committing to paying full price for it. Then if they decide they like the game, they can buy it at a 20% discount before it's removed to keep it forever.
Rainbow Six Extraction is arguably the first big video game release of 2022, so it being a day one Xbox Game Pass game is significant. However, it's not the only day one Xbox Game Pass game confirmed for release on January 20, 2022. On the contrary, there are two other day one Xbox Game Pass games coming on that day as well, and while they are certainly smaller in scale when compared to Rainbow Six Extraction, they could still prove to be valuable additions to the lineup.
First up is Pupperazzi, a quirky new indie game where the main goal is to take pictures of dogs. It's been compared to a version of Pokemon Snap where players are taking photographs of dogs instead of Pokemon, and so it may be of interest to fans of that game. Pupperazzi is meant to be a short but sweet experience, which is just the kind of game that seems perfect for Xbox Game Pass.
And finally, Windjammers 2 is a day one Xbox Game Pass game that's also launching on January 20. Windjammers 2 is the sequel to a 90s arcade sports game that has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Windjammers 2 looks to retain what made the original so popular while adding modern bells and whistles. Whether or not it catches on in quite the same way remains to be seen, but Xbox Game Pass subscribers don't have to wait too much longer to find out as it, Rainbow Six Extraction, and Pupperazzi are all coming on Thursday, January 20.