The new year is here and though it brings quite the bevy of games across the spectrum, the Microsoft side of things is definitely intriguing with the wide availability of Xbox Game Pass. Offering a massive rotating library of games to play across PC, console, and cloud, Xbox definitely has an edge with its bold release strategy and now the latest additions aim to bolster the platform exceedingly further with the biggest highlight being BioWare’s Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

Showing up a bit earlier than expected, Gorogoa, Olija, and The Pedestrian were first added to Xbox Game Pass yesterday evening, with five more doled out over the next week or so. January 6th sees BioWare’s acclaimed Mass Effect Legendary Edition trilogy remastered for PC and console players, alongside cartoony co-op fighter-fighter Embr and open-world space explorer Outer Wilds. Finally, January 13th debuts two awaited day-one games: the subterranean roguelike Spelunky 2 and 70s-style alien hunter The Anacrusis.

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Just as the new year is a time of new beginnings, Xbox Game Pass will also refresh its library with the departure of several games. By January 15th, 7 games will see their leave from the Microsft-branded service, including Kingdom Hearts III, Desperados III, Pandemic, and Mount & Blade: Warband. On the same day, PC Game Pass also sees specific losses in Ghost of a Tale and YIIK: A Postmodern RPG. On the flip side, PUBG’s exodus comes with a silver lining, as January 12th marks the battle royale’s re-release as a chicken-dinnering free-to-play game.

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A rundown of the latest and leaving can be viewed below. A full look at the Xbox console, Cloud Gaming, and PC versions of Game Pass can be viewed in our respective lists.

Xbox Game Pass – January 2022

New on January 4th

• Gorogoa (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Olija (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Pedestrian (Cloud, Console, and PC)

New on January 6th

• Embr (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Console and PC) EA Play
• Outer Wilds (Cloud, Console, and PC)

New on January 13th

• Spelunky 2 (Console and PC)
• The Anacrusis (Game Preview) (Console and PC)

Leaving January 10th

• PUBG: Battlegrounds (Cloud and Console)

Leaving January 15th

• Desperados III (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Ghost of a Tale (PC)
• Kingdom Hearts III (Console)
• Mount & Blade: Warband (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Pandemic (Console and PC)
• YIIK: A Postmodern RPG (PC)

 

​What do you think? Are you happy about the latest additions to Xbox Game Pass, or is it sad to see the service lose so many games with roman numerals? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!​

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