Xbox Boss Phil Spencer teases some "strong" announcements about the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. In April, it was revealed that Xbox Game Pass subscriber numbers had surpassed 10 million, but the Xbox team seems to be working on something else to help add to that figure.
Speaking during Gary Whitta's Animal Crossing: New Horizons talk show, Animal Talking, Spencer said that one of the big positives for the Xbox team has been "the rise of importance for us in Game Pass." Xbox confirmed that all of the games seen during its July showcase, from Obsidian Entertainment's new fantasy RPG Avowed to the shooter Halo Infinite, will all be available on Xbox Game Pass. "Our investment in Game Pass and that portfolio continues to be strong," said Spencer.
However, fans should expect much more from the game subscription service as Spencer revealed that the team has some "really great, strong, announcements to come about things…coming to Game Pass." Spencer didn't offer any more information about what these announcements could look like, but told fans that they'll hear a lot about the Xbox Series X and about Xbox Game Pass around the launch of the console.
Spencer's comments aren't the only suggestion that a major Xbox Game Pass announcement is coming. Earlier this week, VentureBeat Journalist Jeff Grubb told fans to look out for another "big reason" to get Xbox Game Pass in the next two to three weeks. Xbox may have ended its Xbox 20/20 announcement plans, but rumors say that the brand has plenty more left to share.
Fans have also learned that there will be some sort of Xbox Game Pass tie-in with the Xbox Series X launch. An Xbox Series X controller unboxing video seemed to confirm that everyone who buys the controller, and potentially everyone who buys the console, will get a free, two-week Xbox Game Pass trial.
It seems highly unlikely that this free trial is the very announcement that Spencer is teasing. While Microsoft has suggested it could buy more game developers, following on from the purchases of teams like Obsidian Entertainment and Undead Labs, it also seems unlikely that another acquisition is part of this major reveal as this information probably would have leaked before now.
The announcement may just be that a major new game or series is coming to the subscription service. New games are added to the service each month, with The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan being one game available on Xbox Game Pass in August. The announcement could be a game bigger than the rest of the Xbox Game Pass library.