Typically, Microsoft doesn't reveal the next batch of free Games with Gold games until the end of the month, but with the holidays coming up, Xbox's Major Nelson has let the cat out of the bag a little early. As always, Xbox Live Gold subscribers have four free games to look forward to when it comes to the Xbox free Games with Gold for January 2020, including two games on Xbox One and two Xbox 360 games, with the latter being backward compatible.
Starting January 1 and until January 31, Xbox Live Gold subscribers on Xbox One can download Styx: Shards of Darkness. Then from January 16 to February 15, they can download Batman: The Telltale Series. With rumors of a new Batman Telltale game and the recent announcement that The Wolf Among Us 2 is back in development, it's fitting that Microsoft is giving away one of Telltale's higher-rated adventures for free as part of the Games with Gold for January 2020 lineup.
Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 offerings consist of the fighting game Tekken 6, which will be available from January 1 to January 15, as well as Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy, available from January 16 until the 31. With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hitting theaters this week, it makes sense that Microsoft may be trying to capitalize on the Star Wars hype by giving away Lego Star Wars 2 as one of the free Games with Gold for January 2020.
While some fans may already have these games, it's safe to say that this month's offerings are going to be much better-received than the free Games with Gold for December 2019. The trailer for the Xbox free Games with Gold for December 2019 was flooded with dislikes, as many fans were upset by what Microsoft was offering them for the last month of the year. The trailer for the free Games with Gold for January 2020 currently has quite a bit of dislikes as well, but it has hundreds more "likes" than dislikes so far.
The reaction to the free PS Plus Games for December 2019 was similarly negative, so it will be interesting to see what Sony pulls out for its first free games of the new year. The free PS Plus games are always announced on the last Wednesday of the month, so fans will still have to wait a couple of weeks to find out for sure.
