Even when Xbox Game Pass isn't running on all cylinders, it is widely considered one of the best deals in gaming. Still, 2022 was a fairly slow year for Microsoft's subscription service, as most of its standout releases were smaller indie titles. With the past year lacking a constant stream of major releases, 2023 may be the year that Xbox Game Pass delivers on its promise of providing consistent, high-quality day-one releases.
Game Pass is continuing to grow its library, but Microsoft has seemingly been relying on acquisitions and partnerships to provide most of the titles. Signs point to that changing, as the first half of the year has major titles set to release each month. There are also a number of highly-anticipated games without set release dates that are slated for this year. With the Activision/Blizzard deal that Microsoft expects to go through this year, 2023 could provide more value to Game Pass than ever.
Microsoft Has Been Building Up its Offerings
The global pandemic affected development on potentially hundreds of games. With studios ramping back up development since its major outbreak, 2023 seems to be the year that many titles will finally end up launching. While 2022 saw a handful of critically-acclaimed games come to Game Pass, most of them were smaller titles like Pentiment, Tunic, and Vampire Survivors that were all well-received, but didn't amount to consistent releases.
Microsoft's acquisitions have added an impressive list of studios to its repertoire, and the company has shown it's not afraid to let developers pursue passion projects. This year has already seen the surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush; a highly stylized rhythm-action game that takes inspiration from titles like Guitar Hero and Devil May Cry. Revealed at the recent Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct and shadow dropped that same day, Hi-Fi Rush has seen widespread praise and is currently sitting at an average score of 88 on Metacritic.
Microsoft has never had a first-party Game of the Year nominee as long as The Game Awards have been around, leaving many to wonder when that would change. This year may break the streak, as there are several potential first-party Game of the Year candidates set to launch on Game Pass in 2023. Following Hi-Fi Rush's January release, Game Pass subscribers have plenty of exciting titles to look forward to in the coming months.
Some of 2023's Most Anticipated Titles Will Launch on Game Pass
Initially revealed in 2017, Atomic Heart has been on many peoples' radars and is finally set to release in late February. For March, players can look forward to Team Ninja's latest action-RPG Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. In April, Minecraft Legends looks to be one of the biggest surprises of the year, as it aims to revitalize the RTS genre with procedurally-generated worlds. Lastly, Redfall is scheduled to launch in May as developer Arkane Studios' largest game to date with a massive open world and drop-in/drop-out co-op.
Along with the games that already have release dates, there are many highly-anticipated games that don't have a confirmed date but are expected for 2023. One of the most anticipated, Starfield, will allow players to build their own spaceships and fly to hundreds of different planets. Hollow Knight: Silksong, the follow-up to one of the most beloved indie metroidvanias of all time; STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl; Lies of P; and Forza Motorsport are just a few other titles scheduled to release sometime this year.
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision/Blizzard for nearly $70 billion is expected to finalize this year. If the deal ends up going through, several high-profile franchises could be expected to come to Game Pass. Although some are worried about franchises becoming console exclusives in the future, adding games like Call of Duty, Diablo, and World of Warcraft to Game Pass would provide undeniable value to the subscription service.