For six years now, Xbox Game Pass has been consistently heralded as one of the greatest deals in all gaming, offering over 100 video games for just one very reasonable sum every month. But while Xbox Game Pass' value has always been good, it's definitely wavered over the years, and the last few months are just the latest and most obvious examples of this trend.
Though 2023 has seen a number of excellent games come to Xbox Game Pass, ranging from ports of classic games like Persona and Age of Empires 2, to day-one third-party releases like Atomic Heart and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, these releases are few and far between. Unfortunately, the majority of Xbox Game Pass' monthly output this year has been a little lackluster, but that could all be about to change, with potentially a horde of exciting news coming on June 11.
June 11 Could Be a Monumental Day for Xbox Game Pass
Ever since its first debut in June 2017, Xbox Game Pass has been a focal point of every one of Xbox's Summer showcases, and just about any other event it hosts. The phrase "Available day-one on Xbox Game Pass" has become synonymous with Xbox's showcases, usually coming just before or immediately after an exciting reveal. And over the course of an hour-long showcase, fans can end up hearing this phrase a few dozen times, and that sort of brand repetition only continues to cement Xbox Game Pass' value.
On June 11, Xbox will be hosting its annual games showcase, and like every year, it seems safe to assume that Xbox Game Pass will have a major presence once again. After the disappointing launch of Redfall on Xbox Game Pass, it's extremely likely that Xbox will want to push Game Pass even harder than ever before, and reveal a ton of games that are coming to the service over the next 12 months. Xbox used a similar strategy for its previous Summer showcase in 2022, and while many of these Xbox Game Pass titles didn't launch in their promised windows, it's still a strong marketing tactic, and it's a great way to convince subscribers yet again that there's an incredible amount of value in Xbox Game Pass.
While the upcoming Xbox Showcase's contents haven't been fully revealed just yet, there are a few promising titles that are almost guaranteed to make an appearance. Forza Motorsport is one such title, and one that could end up receiving a 2023 release date at this upcoming event. The long-awaited Fable reboot is also being teased to make an appearance.
Obsidian's new, mysterious RPG Avowed is also a likely candidate for Xbox's June 11 Showcase, with it having been first shown almost three years ago now. Lies of P may or may not show up, too, since its release is apparently still scheduled for August at the earliest. Xbox has also confirmed that Bethesda's highly-anticipated Starfield will be receiving its own dedicated direct immediately following the Xbox Showcase, meaning that there's a ton of room for other games to receive the spotlight in the preceding showcase.
Those four titles alone are enough to keep many Xbox Game Pass subscribers happy, especially if they end up receiving confirmed release dates. But for some fans, they're going to need a few more announcements to be convinced that Xbox Game Pass has a worthwhile line-up ahead of itself. Last year, Xbox's Showcase detailed 22 separate games heading to Xbox Game Pass, and if Xbox is wanting to right the wrongs of Redfall, then it's going to need to do exactly the same this year, if not even go beyond that.