Xbox Game Pass is the monthly video game subscription from Microsoft that has been compared to the likes of Netflix but for video games. The Ultimate version of the subscription also includes Xbox Live Gold, necessary for playing online, while EA Play is a base add-on, which includes a handful of top EA titles and sometimes launch day releases.
The Xbox Game Pass includes a catalog of games from publishers that rotate every month. As such, it is important to know which games are coming and which are leaving so subscribers can plan which games they tackle first before missing out. The Xbox Game Pass won't release all the games at once but will release them in intervals.
Games Added to Xbox Game Pass for May
Dragon Quest Builders 2: Console and PC | Arrives May 4
Releasing first on the Xbox Game Pass train is the Action RPG Sandbox Dragon Quest Builders 2, available for the first time on Xbox consoles. In Dragon Quest Builders 2, players harvest materials to construct buildings and other equipment with a team of up to 4 players. The game introduces a new fast-travel mechanic, an optional first-person perspective, gliding, underwater exploration, and more.
Fifa 21: Console and PC | Arrives May 6
Fifa 21 is the latest in the Fifa series, allowing fans to experience co-op gameplay in Ultimate Team, Career Mode, and the continuation of VOLTA Football from Fifa 20. Though the game has not been received well due to its lack of apparent change from previous titles, Fifa 20 isn't part of the current lineup of Xbox Game Pass. As such, fans of the series can enjoy the latest iteration until the next one in the series releases later in 2021.
Outlast 2: Cloud, Console, and PC | Arrives May 6
Xbox Game Pass subscribers who are fans of horror games will be happy to learn Outlast 2 will be available to play soon. The First-Person Survival Horror game plays much like its predecessor with even more ways to hide with their trusty camcorders. Players will need to sneak and hide while using night-vision, using the camcorder's sensitive microphone to listen in on footsteps, and more.
Steep: Cloud and Console | Arrives May 6
Steep is an online multiplayer extreme sports game set in an open world environment set upon the tallest mountain in Europe. Players can freely explore the frigid Alps with players from across the world showing off their tricks, whether they decide to ski or snowboard. The game also has a variety of challenges and rewards depending on how well a player performs during races.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster: Cloud, Console, and PC | Arrives May 13
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is the remaster of both FFX and FFX-2, two RPG masterpieces by Square-Enix in one remastered bundle. Originally debuting on the PlayStation 2, FFX and FFX-2 broke new ground in the RPG genre at the time and continue to delight fans of the series to this day. Both RPGs have hefty play-time so hopefully, their stay on Xbox Game Pass is long enough for subscribers to get their fill.
Just Cause 4: Reloaded: Cloud, Console, and PC | Arrives May 13
Just Cause 4: Reloaded is a third-person Action-Adventure game taking place in a large fictional open-world. The game has different biomes including deserts and snowy mountains. Players can traverse quickly utilizing the important Wingsuit and Grappling Hook. A new wind system was implemented alongside a weather system with environmental hazards including thunderstorms and tornados.
Psychonauts: Cloud, Console, PC | Arrives May 13
Psychonauts is a 3D Platformer featuring the main protagonist and psychic Razputin. Throughout his adventure, the player will go from basic movement abilities to mastering psychic-related ones such as invisibility, levitation, and more. The game includes real-world and mental-world areas that exist within many of the characters' consciousness that the player must resolve.
Red Dead Online: Cloud and Console | Arrives May 13
Originally bundled with Red Dead Redemption 2, this online version of the Red Dead series features a player's created character as they explore Rockstar's Wild West. Players will be able to adventure with friends and explore the massive landscapes that made appearances in both Red Dead 1 and Red Dead 2. Players can take part in a multitude of mini-games and specialties including bounties, animal hunting, collecting, and more.
Remnant: From the Ashes: PC | Arrives May 13
Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person Action Shooter that is similar in scope to a Dark Souls style of game. The player can equip a variety of weapons from machine guns and shotguns to hunting and sniper rifles. The player utilizes their own custom-made character while overcoming the game's challenging encounters. Death brings a character back to a previous checkpoint, where enemy layouts will differ keeping the gameplay dynamic. Players can also team up to form a party of 3, making the game more challenging.
Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass May 15
Every month just as games get added to the Xbox Game Pass, other games get removed, and coming up on May 15 there are a handful of games leaving the library. If Xbox Game Pass subscribers haven't taken a look at these titles now is the time as the clock is ticking.
Alan Wake: Console and PC
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2: PC
Dungeon of the Endless: Cloud, Console, and PC
Final Fantasy IX: Console and PC
Hotline Miami: PC
Plebby Quest: The Crusades: PC
Subscribers have some great games to look forward to, including many multiplayer games like Steep and Red Dead Online to lose themselves in, as well as more narrative-focused games such as FFX/X-2 HD Remaster and Remnant: From the Ashes.