All future Microsoft Studios titles headed to Xbox Games Pass on launch day, Phil Spencer says

Laurent Giret

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service has just become much more interesting for gamers. Today, Xbox Head Phil Spencer announced that all future Microsoft Studios titles will be available via Xbox Games Pass on launch day. “This means that when Sea of Thieves launches on March 20, it will be included in Xbox Game Pass to all members,” the exec explained.

Spencer described this news as a “major expansion to Xbox Game Pass that underscores our commitment to deliver our fans the ultimate gaming subscription service.” Indeed, Microsoft is pretty much doing what Netflix and Amazon Video do when they simultaneously release self-produced content in all markets where they operate.

Microsoft has several exclusive first-party games in the pipeline this year including Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3 and State of Decay 2, and all of them will be available via Xbox Games Pass on launch day. This is pretty great if you don’t want to spend $60 on each of them. Even better, all these games will support Xbox Play Anywhere, which means that Xbox Games Pass is becoming much more interesting for PC gamers this year.

If you’re not very excited by the upcoming games from Microsoft Studios, you may want to reconsider when Microsoft releases new episodes of its biggest franchises such as Halo, Gears of War and Forza. Gears of War 4 and Halo 5: Guardians are already included in the Xbox Games Pass catalog, but it’s still not clear if Forza Horizon 3 and the more recent Forza Motorsport 7 could be added soon.

Last but not least, Spencer announced today that 6-month Xbox Game Pass cards will soon be available to purchase for $59 at select retailers. In the US, GameStop will be one the first retail partners to offer the new cards on March 20. “By working closely with retail partners, Xbox Game Pass will have valuable ambassadors in popular destinations for gamers to discover new and exciting games and enjoy community,” Spencer explained.