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Xbox Game Pass, the Netflix-like subscription that brings a rotating selection of blockbuster games to stream and download on consoles, PC, smartphones and handheld consoles, is shuffling its library again. Several standout Xbox games will leave the Xbox Game Pass service this month.
Monthly plans start from £9.99 per month — but you can unlock a much cheaper plan if you know where to shop, unlocking access to hundreds of titles across Xbox consoles, PC, and cloud gaming. You'll find every title from a developer owned by Microsoft, as well as popular third-party titles, like Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, Rocket League, Football Manager, and more.
Each month, Microsoft unleashes a slew of new games — and ditches several from the library. This time around, there are two waves of titles leaving the platform this month. The first round exited the platform on January 15:
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
- Neon White
- Road 96
- The Ascent
- The Grinch: Christmas Adventures – Merry & Mischievous Edition
The second wave will vanish from January 31:
- Cataclismo (PC)
- Starbound (PC)
- Starbound
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
- Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap
- PAW Patrol World
- Shady Part of Me
The good news? Xbox is constantly rotating in new games, so there are already several new options confirmed to be heading to the platform at the end of this month and at the beginning of February. The Microsoft-owned brand just hosted its annual Developer_Direct tonight, a series of livestream events produced by Microsoft Gaming to showcase upcoming titles, updates, and content you can expect to see released this year.
Xbox is constantly rotating in new games, so there are already several new options confirmed to be heading to the platform at the end of this month and at the beginning of February
|MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE
As of January 21, Death Standing Director's Cut, RoadCraft, and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound have all just arrived on Game Pass. In the coming days, seven more games will be gradually uploaded to the platform:
- January 27: The Talos Principle 2
- January 28: Anno: Mutationem
- January 28: Drop Duchy
- January 29: MySims: Cozy Bundle
- January 29: Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
- February 2: Indika
- February 3: Final Fantasy 2
If you're looking to enjoy any of these titles coming to Xbox consoles, you can access all of them via Xbox Game Pass. If you're not a subscriber, be aware — there was recently a Game Pass price rise in the UK.
Existing Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers have been moved to the new Essential plan at £9.99 per month, while Standard users have transitioned to Xbox Game Pass Premium at £14.99 per month.
Those already subscribed to top-of-the-line Game Pass Ultimate will keep their plan, but the cost will rise to £29.99 from £14.99 when the next billing cycle begins.
- Xbox Game Pass Core > Essential | Was £6.99, Now £9.99
- Xbox Game Pass Standard > Premium | Was £10.99, Now £14.99
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate > Ultimate | Was £14.99, Now £29.99
However, many noteworthy new features come with these upgraded tiers.
Microsoft has kept the same three subscription tiers for its Xbox Game Pass service, but the names, prices, and perks included in each plan have changed with the latest shake-up | MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE For starters, no matter which tier you choose, you’ll now get access to both PC games and cloud streaming — something that was previously only available in the priciest Game Pass Ultimate tier.
Even the basic Essential plan includes console and PC titles, along with unlimited cloud gaming. That means you can stream not just the games in the Game Pass library, but also any games you already own.
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The catalogue of games available to stream or download to your console enjoys some new additions too.
Essential now gives you a curated selection of over 50 games, including favourites like Hades and Stardew Valley. Premium now bumps that up to more than 200 titles, with 40 new additions, including Diablo IV and Hogwarts Legacy. Ultimate subscribers will have access to more than 400 video games worldwide.
Microsoft is even promising over 75 new day-one releases each year, which means that you can play brand new games the day they're released without paying more than the subscription fee. This is a 50% jump from how many day-one games they offered previously.
Premium subscribers won't get those day-one releases, but Microsoft has committed to bringing all Xbox-published games — except the latest Call of Duty — to Xbox Game Pass Premium within twelve months of launch.
The Ultimate tier is trying to soften the price hike with some serious extras. For instance, you're getting Fortnite Crew bundled in from November 18 - that's normally £9.99 monthly and includes the Battle Pass plus 1,000 V-Bucks each month.
Save 30% on Game Pass Core from ShopTo
Xbox Game Pass Core is the essential starting point for online play on Xbox. It includes online multiplayer access, a curated library of high-quality games to download and play, plus exclusive member deals and discounts. When you buy the Game Pass online from ShopTo, you can cut down your monthly subscription cost from £9.99 per month to a little over £3 per month.
Xbox Game Pass Core
$59.99
$41.01
Save £60 on Game Pass Ultimate with a Digital Gift Card
Want to avoid the £22.99 per month subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? Loaded, formerly known as CD Keys, offers digital gift cards that unlock a 12-month subscription to the top-of-the-line plan for less than the previous price tag. Just £139.99 for the year, you'll pay a little over £11 per month for this plan.
Game Pass Ultimate includes all Xbox games from Microsoft-owned studios on day one, Ubisoft+ Classics with hits like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and cloud gaming to stream a massive library instantly — no console needed
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
$199.99
$139.99
There's also Ubisoft+ Classics thrown in, worth £6.99 monthly, giving you access to games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Cloud gaming is finally becoming available to Ultimate users, which allows you to stream and play a large library of console and PC games instantly from the cloud to a variety of devices without needing a powerful console or significant storage.
The rewards programme is getting a revamp too. Ultimate subscribers can earn up to £100 yearly (100,000 points) just by playing, while Premium users can grab £50 and Essential players £25. You'll get multiplied points on purchases - 4x for Ultimate, 2x for Premium.
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