The number of subscription services that offer free, quality games to subscribers seems to be on the rise in recent years, but nothing has quite rivaled Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service is unmatched when measuring its monthly cost and weighing that with the sheer number of games available for subscribers. Paired with the fact that Microsoft really seems to be doubling down on the idea that the company's first-party titles will be coming to Game Pass the day that they launch, the deal seems to just keep getting sweeter.
Fall 2021 is a perfect example of just how strong Xbox Game Pass can be. When considering the titles that are launching on it, it's hard to imagine how the service could be improved. The only way that could really happen is if more games come to it, a wish that may already be in the works for 2022. Currently, the Xbox Game Pass lineup for Fall 2021 is setting the bar extremely high in terms of expectations for the future, a bar that is hopefully going to be raised even higher by the time 2022 rolls around.
Xbox Game Pass' Fall 2021 Lineup
Although Fall doesn't technically start until late September, August has become a hot time to drop new titles, so there's plenty coming to Xbox Game Pass as Autumn approaches. August alone sees the launch of Hades, Twelve Minutes, and Psychonauts 2.
While Hades already had a PC and Switch release, the game was praised as one of 2020's finest by numerous publications so its arrival on Game Pass is a huge deal for those who weren't able to play it last year. Published by Annapurna Interactive, Twelve Minutes is a high-profile indie title due to its interesting premise and stellar Hollywood cast. Additionally, Psychonauts 2 is the first of three Xbox first-party games that's coming to Game Pass in the latter half of the year, so it hopefully can showcase just how high the bar is in terms of quality for first-party titles.
September takes something of a dip in terms of truly high-profile titles, but that doesn't mean that quality games aren't coming to Xbox Game Pass. Surgeon Simulator 2, Skatebird, Aragami 2, Lemnis Gate, Astria Ascending, and Sable are only the titles that are confirmed at the current time of writing, but there are likely to be more announcements as the month draws closer. Each one is worth a download and a try in its own right, as games like Skatebird and Lemnis Gate take classic gaming genres and conventions and twist them into something new.
The biggest game for many coming to Xbox Game Pass in October is Back 4 Blood. The spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead is plenty of fans' most anticipated game of the year, and following its recent successful open beta, Back 4 Blood has seemingly set itself up for success. As it's coming to PlayStation consoles and PC, it seems like the perfect game to bring more people to Xbox Game Pass with how many people have been counting down the days to release. If fans can play it as well as over 300 more excellent Xbox titles for a relatively small subscription price, then it almost seems like a subscription is more financially viable than a flat-out purchase for Xbox owners.
The two huge first-party titles left that are coming out in Fall 2021 are Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite. Forza Horizon 5 is releasing on November 5, but there's still no confirmed release date for Halo Infinite. Halo's date will likely be coming during Microsoft's showcase at Gamescom at the end of the month, but there's no telling when exactly to expect the game. Based on how successful the Halo Infinite multiplayer technical preview was, it's safe to assume that it hasn't been delayed even further into 2022. This is also corroborated by Phil Spencer recently saying that 343 Industries is set on making a 2021 release date.
The Potential of Game Pass' Fall 2022
When looking at the sheer number of quality titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in Fall 2021, it's hard to not be impressed. With three first-party titles, as well as plenty of other quality games, it makes one wonder if Game Pass will ever be able to top the current lineup and release season. Although it's still pretty early to call it, it seems like Fall 2022 might be able to do just that.
Microsoft's E3 2021 press conference was a good look into 2022's Game Pass lineup as nearly every single one of the games shown off by the company is coming to the subscription service on the day each launches. Most titles announced for 2022, however, didn't have specific release dates: the only game that did was Starfield, boasting a November 11, 2022 date. It makes sense why so many titles might not want to give more specific timeframes for their launches based on how disruptive the pandemic has been to studios and their work, but it's safe to assume that several of the major 2022 announcements will be arriving in the Fall.
Titles like A Plague Tale Requiem, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Starfield, Redfall, and Deathloop's Xbox debut could all be sharing a similar release window which would raise the bar for Game Pass set by Fall 2021 by a good amount. That's also just accounting for what's been announced so far for 2022, there's no way to know what else is coming until the year gets even closer. It's worth pointing out that the titles listed above might not all release in the Fall of 2022, however, it's certainly possible that they might be close enough to feel like one strong addition to the service after another.
Either way, the future of Xbox Game Pass is certainly looking bright right now, but it seems to be getting even brighter with everything that's coming on the horizon. Hopefully, the Fall 2021 lineup isn't just the stars aligning in the perfect way, but a statement about what's to come in 2022 and beyond.