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Slime Rancher 2 releases on Xbox Game Pass on September 22 in its early access state, while come September 27, Grounded's full release becomes playable on Xbox Game Pass. To be fair, Grounded already is playable on the service, but without this major update. Indeed, Grounded has largely benefited from its Xbox Game Pass inclusion throughout its early access state and its upcoming update is proof of that.
Subscription services like Xbox Game Pass benefits games in many ways. Epic Games Store is a great service for highlighting indies, while Xbox Game Pass also gives many indie games a spotlight that they wouldn't otherwise be able to get. Multiplayer games of any sort are buffered on these services, as it ensures an even wider community on day one releases especially. However, while there are early access games on Xbox Game Pass, the service and fans should double down on these inclusions.
Xbox Game Pass Needs More Early Access Games
Early access is nothing new in the industry, though far too often, fans used it as a pejorative instead for games that are not content complete at launch (or at least seem that way). It's not really fair to early access games who go through this unnecessary phase, and instead, it should be a good thing. Early access players are able to express desire that are more likely to be addressed, fixed, or adjust come the game's full release. Early access games typically have their own audiences, but many may instead want to wait for the early release. There's no doubt that will continue on in the future, but the good news is that Xbox Game Pass does the same thing for early access games as it does indie and multiplayer games.
Early access titles are harder to get eyes on because of the caveats associated with them, but Xbox Game Pass itself is essentially marketing for its titles. Just like with any indie game. At the same time, it provides an instant audience like it does for multiplayer games on Xbox Game Pass. These titles benefit from this approach, and while Slime Rancher is already a popular game, Slime Rancher 2 entering early access and becoming playable on Game Pass is a perfect example of why these titles belong on the service. It's going to get attention, feedback, and more as part of this service.
Indeed, its timing is nice as Grounded enters its 1.0 full release on September 27. What fans see here is a proof of concept: one game remaining on Game Pass but entering this new stage, with another entering at the very start of this line. Grounded has grown incredibly since it entered early access and has been bolstered every step of the way thanks to Game Pass. Slime Rancher 2 on Xbox Game Pass will no doubt have the same experience, and hopefully, while there are other early access games on the service, Microsoft and gamers don't sleep on them for much longer, just because they have "Early Access."
Xbox Game Pass subscribers get a handful of games every month.