Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service is often hailed as the "best deal in gaming," and it certainly makes an effort to live up to that reputation. Microsoft's strategy for this generation is clearly to get as many people to sign up for Xbox Game Pass as possible, and it's trying to woo potential subscribers by constantly adding games to the lineup, whether they be well-received older titles or brand-new, day one releases.
Xbox Game Pass had an excellent 2021, with Microsoft more aggressively supporting the service than ever before. Anyone concerned that Microsoft may slow things down for Xbox Game Pass in the new year were quickly proven wrong, as January 2022 has been one of the biggest months for the service yet. January 2022 saw numerous games added to the Xbox Game Pass lineup, and some industry-shaking events also helped to ensure that Game Pass will be even more of a must-have for Xbox and PC gamers in the years ahead.
Here is why January 2022 was absolutely massive for Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass New Games for January 2022
- The Anacrusis
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition
- Death's Door
- Embr
- Gorogoa
- Hitman Trilogy
- Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass)
- Nobody Saves the World
- Olija
- Outer Wilds
- The Pedestrian
- Pupperazzi
- Rainbow Six Extraction
- Rainbow Six Siege (PC Game Pass)
- Spelunky 2
- Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master
- Windjammers 2
There may have been some months with more notable releases for the Xbox brand, like when Forza Horizon 5 dropped in November 2021 and Halo Infinite released in December 2021, but in terms of quantity, it's hard to beat January 2022. January 2022 saw the release of numerous day one Xbox Game Pass games, not to mention the addition of critically-acclaimed older games like indie darling Death's Door, Outer Wilds, and Spelunky 2.
The day one games added to Xbox Game Pass in January 2022 included the likes of Nobody Saves the World, an action-RPG from Guacamelee developer DrinkBox Studios that has earned mostly positive reviews since launch, and Rainbow Six Extraction. While Rainbow Six Extraction reviews were mixed, there's no denying the inherent value in Xbox Game Pass getting a brand-new, triple-A game on the same day that it launches.
Other day one Xbox Game Pass games in January 2022 included Pupperazzi, a quirky indie game about snapping photos of dogs, and Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master, a music/rhythm game that doubles as an Xbox console exclusive.
Those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription had even more to enjoy than those with the base-tier Xbox Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets users access to EA Play, the Electronic Arts subscription service that lets players access many of the company's most popular titles. This includes Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, the remastered collection of the original Mass Effect trilogy, allowing fans to relive Commander Shepard's classic adventures with modern enhancements.
The new games added to Xbox Game Pass in January 2022 represented a wide number of genres, ensuring that there was something for everyone this month. And while there were also some games that left Xbox Game Pass in January 2022, the new additions greatly outnumber the departures. Microsoft usually makes sure that there are more games coming to Xbox Game Pass than there are leaving the service, and it definitely made sure that happened in January 2022.
Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Another reason why January 2022 was massive for Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. A landmark deal that will cost nearly $70 billion if everything goes through, Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard will likely mean an immediate influx of Activision Blizzard-published games on the Xbox Game Pass service. And since there are many Call of Duty games that are backward compatible, nearly the whole franchise should become readily available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to check out.
Getting access to classic Activision Blizzard games is going to be huge for Xbox Game Pass, but even bigger will be the day-one games that the service will get as well. This will include the annual Call of Duty releases every year, which is significant because even when franchise sales are down overall, Call of Duty always ends up being the top-selling game.
Imagine being able to play the annual new Call of Duty game without having to actually buy the game itself, but rather just having access to it as a bonus through one's Xbox Game Pass subscription. There's obvious value there, and so Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is going to mean incredible things for Xbox Game Pass moving forward.
Between the big news that Microsoft is acquiring Activision Blizzard and all the new games that hit the service this past month, it's clear that January 2022 has been one of the biggest months for Xbox Game Pass yet. Microsoft has yet to pull the curtain back on its plans for Xbox Game Pass in February 2022, but it will be interesting to see how next month stacks up to January.