Not too long ago, Phil Spencer stated that he wanted Starfield to be the most played Todd Howard game to date. These are no doubt big boots to fill, with games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 under his belt too, but Starfield has a secret weapon: Xbox Game Pass.
There’s no doubting the sheer value and popularity of Xbox Game Pass. Even looking ahead to May, there are quite a few games lined up, and fans are treated to new announcements and surprises all throughout the month. Its success cannot really be understated, and Starfield is perhaps its biggest game of the year. However, it’s not how Starfield ends 2022 with Game Pass that matters, but how Game Pass follows Starfield in 2023.
Game Pass: The Answer to Xbox’s First-Party Exclusive Criticism
It’s no secret that Microsoft struggled for most of the Xbox One era to put out defining first-party titles. There’s a handful, sure, but compared to the competition, there was no game or games that made fans really HAVE to pick up an Xbox One console. Game Pass is an answer to that. With various deals, it’s constantly stacked with third-party games, but how it pushes first-party games is going to matter most.
To say Starfield is leading the charge isn’t to say that there haven’t been first-party titles on Xbox Game Pass yet, as everyone knows games like Halo Infinite are on the service. But, specifically, Xbox has plans to be able to release one major, AAA game every quarter relatively soon. With this plan is in full effect, which could begin this year and well into next, fans are going to see a constant influx of first-party games on Xbox Game Pass.
Starfield is a big get, no matter how one looks at it, and that’s not to ignore Redfall which will launch on Game Pass sometime this summer too. Either game is a prime starting point for this release pattern, speculatively speaking. Redfall, Starfield, and whatever else is added in 2022 is a good start.
Not too much is known about Starfield, which speaks to the sheer pedigree around Bethesda, but fans will learn more this summer. If it nails that landing, it’s easy to see how Game Pass could be where Starfield absolutely runs away for it. For many, this could be the true moment where the Xbox Series X/S sheds the baggage of the Xbox One gen, and it could set the tone for 2023.
Game Pass: Starfield, Fable, State of Decay 3, Avowed, and More
It'll be interesting to see if this Game Pass release does make this the most-played Todd Howard game to date, proving both the pedigree of the developer and Game Pass’ true staying power (not that it really needs that tested). But, Starfield is just the first of many games fans can expect to hit Game Pass, day one, as a first-party title over the next couple of years. That's not even counting unknown third-party titles.
Looking at the above, speculative roadmap made by Xbox Insider Klobrille, fans can expect all of these first-party titles day one on Game Pass: Contraband, Avowed, Hellblade 2, and State of Decay 3. 2023 might be looking a little less certain, but there are still plenty of games set to join the Game Pass service like Fable, The Outer Worlds 2, Everwild, Perfect Dark, Gears, Indiana Jones, and at some point, The Elder Scrolls 6.
If one looks at Starfield as the start of this charge, The Elder Scrolls 6 could be the "end" of it, for the perceivable future of course. More will likely join between the two games, and definitely more will come after them. But if Starfield runs away with its Game Pass launch, there’s going to be a ton of games to pick up the ball and keep it going after that.
Starfield releases November 11 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.