Microsoft has plans to update Xbox Game Pass throughout December with new additions. The publisher’s subscription service already has over 100 games, and now it’s getting a number of new ones in time for the gift-giving holidays.
Xbox Game Pass is the focus of Microsoft’s current gaming initiative. The company is trying to get people into its ecosystem by offering a compelling service for $10 per month. To ensure that the membership is worth it, the Xbox team adds all of its first-party releases to Game Pass the day they launch for sale. But Microsoft also reaches out to third-party partners to bring in fresh batches of games on a regular cadence. Now, that is continuing throughout December.
Games coming to Xbox Game Pass in December
All of these games are coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console.
December 5
- My Friend Pedro — A John Woo-like action shooter with lots of slow motion. Is John Woo an outdated reference?
- Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker — A new Naruto game. It is anime.
December 6
- Demon’s Tilt — A video pinball simulator that brings in mechanics from other genres.
- Wandersong — A game where you have to play as a bard and make music.
December 12
- eFootball PES 2020 — Konami’s soccer sim, which has the exclusive rights to many of the biggest clubs in the world.
- Overcooked 2 — A game about working together with others to run a kitchen.
- Pathologic 2 — A horror role-playing adventure about an epidemic in a rural village.
- Tom Clancy’s The Division — Ubisoft’s online, quest-based shooter.
Microsoft also added Halo: Reach to Game Pass for both PC and console on December 3.
Xbox Game Pass Quests in December
One of the issues with Xbox Game Pass is that people have so many options that may not know what to play next. To help with that, Microsoft created Xbox Game Pass Quests. The idea is to encourage people to try something different with the promise of earning points for the Microsoft Rewards program.
In December, Microsoft is also doing the Elf Quest, which gifts a free rental of the movie Elf to anyone who completes any Xbox Game Pass Quest.
Available quests include:
Finally, since Microsoft has to make ongoing deals with developers, some third-party games eventually leave the service. On December 13, Ashen, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Life is Strange Season 1, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 are all leaving.
