Game Pass 2025: TEN Must Play Games

December 20, 2024 VDGMS

Game Pass 2025: TEN Must Play Games

I have already said it, but 2025 has a good chance to be the best year of gaming ever. There is already a list with over 50 incredible indies to keep an eye on, and here are ten predications that have a good chance to happen in 2025. The good news is that if you’re on Game Pass Ultimate, you’ll be getting to experience some of the best gaming has to offer in 2025.

As a bonus, hang around until the end, where I will list a few more games that haven’t been officially confirmed for 2025 or Game Pass just yet, but have a good chance.

Let’s start by going through the year in chronological order with confirmed dates and then release date window assumptions after that. Here are TEN must play games that are coming to Game Pass Ultimate in 2025

Eternal Strands - January

The first game of the year coming to Game Pass will be on January 28 and that’s Eternal Strands from Yellow Brick Games who are from Montreal. This is the debut title from the studio that is overflowing with Dragon Age and Assassin’s Creed pedigree, among plenty more AAA experience.

According to the studio, Eternal Strands is inspired by Dragons Dogma, Shadow of the Colussus and Breath of The Wild. However, at the heart of Eternal Strands is the blending of weapons, spells and reactivity. Fire, ice and telekinetic powers combine with raw steel to create unforgettable encounters with destructible environments built in Unreal Engine 5. With a multitude of spells, colossal adversaries, as well as looting, along with a crafting system and Eternal Strands looks to start 2025 off on a very strong note with their take on fantasy action adventure

Yellow Brick Games have even began colloboratiing with internal Square Enix studio Creative Studio 3, for the first post launch update, which is going to be completely free.

Avowed - February

If you want even more fantasy then you won’t have to wait long as Avowed from Obsidian is set to release on February 18, or February 13th if you pre-order the Premium Edition. Avowed was delayed back in August 2024 for no specific reason other than what seemed like giving the first person fantasy RPG a better chance at success as the fall 2024 was pretty crowded for game releases.

Avowed takes place in the fictional lands of Eora, a world that was first introduced in Pillars of Eternity. You play as the Envoy of Aedyr, a distant land where you are one of the last god touched beings, who are part of a dying breed. Your task is to help out the people with a mysterious plague. The plague is spreading and infecting the people, animals and lands and you must investigate and save these lands and everything in it before it’s too late

The world is filled with mysteries to unravel, secrets to solve, and dangers to overcome. On your adventure there will be plenty of choice, consequence and combat. You are able to approach combat as you wish by mixing and matching what suits you from swords, spells, shields, guns, and bows. If you want to dual wield guns, you can do that or if you want to dual wield magical wands, that’s also a choice you can do. Although the world isn’t completely open, there are large open sections to explore with the each one taking about 15-20 hours based on what people that played the preview said and the whole game having likely 4-6 more areas to plunder. The hope is that they will all be as long and filled with discovery.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Spring

There are no more official release dates for this list, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was initially targeting Spring 2025, which could be around March or April, if all goes well.

Clair Obscur: Expédition 33 is a turn based JRPG with an active battle system and other real time mechanics. Expedition 33 has a very strong European influence with a world inspired the Belle Epoque, which translates to the beautiful age. Combining the Belle Epoque era with the fantastical world that we have seen in the trailers, creates a very unique setting that feels original.

The other part of the setting that feels unique is the Children of Men style setting, but in this case, the world is devoid of old age, which is an engaging concept. One of the most interesting aspects, is that members of Expedition 33 only have one year left to live and it will be neat to see how that affects the storyline.

From a gameplay perspective, it all began with the studio seeing a void. “There hasn’t really be any attempt at making a turn based RPG with high fidelity graphics for a while”. Trying to push the limits of fidelity is a simple explanation for why Sandfall chose to create Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in Unreal Engine 5.

Expedition 33 is trying something unique that they are calling a “reactive turn based battle system”. This is a system that takes the traditional turn based RPG system and infuses their love for action games and souls-likes. During the enemies turn, you will need to reactive with dodging, jumping and parrying. In the words of the director “As soon as I finished the first prototype of the defence system, I knew it was something special”

Sleight of Hand - May-ish

Sleight of Hand is a third-person stealth action deck-builder. It’s no secret that deckbuilders are having a moment, but as with anything, there is always room for one more if something is done right or innovates. Sleight of Hand is inspired by noir and tactical espionage action about a witch who has been pulled out of retirement for one last job and must infiltrate her old coven using a cursed deck of cards. Sleight of Hand is set in the hardboiled, rain soaked city of Taboo, a world that is separated by those with magical powers and those without.

In the words of the game director, it’s as if you took Metal Gear Solid and replaced all the guns with cards. Sleight of Hand combines level design and tension of the stealth genre with the strategy and mechanics of card games. The studio said that Sleight of Hand is a love letter to their favourite games: Metal Gear Solid, Dishonored, and Max Payne 2.

Subnautica 2

Subnautica was not only a huge success, but along with PUBG, were huge successes for Xbox Game Preview, which is their early access program. The biggest change coming to Subnautica 2 is the addition of co-op. Subnautica 2 will feature the ability to play alone or with up to three other players. The adventure will be set on an all new planet that is too dangerous for humans to survive, which will require you to evolve your genetics and adapt.

Subnautica 2 will feature a whole new story and plenty of new biomes from towering underwater cliffs, to lush coral fields teeming with diverse ecosystems and unique creatures. But something has happened on this new planet and against the better judgement of your ai to leave, you need to uncover the truth.

Sometimes sequels try to reinvent themselves and forget the core elements of the series. Subnautica 2 is not trying to rock the boat, pun intended, but instead looks to build on the great foundation of the first game that people love. Refining the systems that already exist, adding a level of polish and then adding a few smart new features like co-op that capture the same feeling as the first game, but offer plenty for existing players to return and a provide a great entry point for newcomers.

Subnautica 2 will once again be part of the Xbox Game Preview program when it comes to Game Pass in 2025. Subnautica remained in Early Access for longer than most games and is likely to happen again as the team has said that they will be adding more biomes, creatures, craftables, and expanding the narrative.

South of Midnight - August ish

South of Midnight will be the first release from Compulsion Games since they were acquired by Microsoft back in 2018. The studio released We Happy Few into Early Access in 2016 and it saw a final release in 2018. Since then, Compulsion Games, the studio founded by former Arkane developer and based in Montreal have been quietly toiling away on South of Midnight, an action adventure set in a fantastical version of the American Deep South.

South of Midnight has jumped off the screen since it was first revealed with a teaser trailer back in 2023 with a stop-motion style animation, larger than life enemies and an environment almost out of a fairy tale. When disaster strikes Hazel is called upon to become a weaver who is a magical mender. At its core, South of Midnight has a lot of themes that are relevant in today’s world including bringing people together, learning empathy for the people who aren’t like you, and learning who you are. South of Midnight has a lot of strong elements on their own, that hopefully come together to form a cohesive experience.

Replaced - September

Replaced at one point was one of our most anticipated indie games, but over the years our expectations have been tempered slightly. Not much can be said that already hasn’t been said about the game. It was originally supposed to be released in 2022, and then the war in Ukraine happened and with the studio located in Belarus, which shares a border, things had to be put on hold for the safety of the team.

Nothing has changed about Replaced, the premise still sounds interesting as you play as an ai trapped in a human body, the visuals are still eye poppingly gorgeous with the 2.5D pixel aesthetic and the score is still dripping with 80’s synth. Every trailer that we have been shown looks better than before, but just over the passage of time, our interest has cooled, but we still cant wait to see how this game turns out

Fable - October

There is a lot of firsts happening with Fable. This is the first title from Playground Games that isn’t a Forza Horizon title, as they have released five entries dating back to 2012. Every single one of those games basically reviewed above the 90th percentile. This reboot, as it’s being labeled will be the first entry in the series not developed by Lionhead Studios, who were acquired by Microsoft in 2006, a few years after the success of Fable and would eventually be shut down in 2016. Fable will be the first entry in over a decade. Fable will be using the ForzaTech engine that Playground uses for the Horizon series. This will also be the first time the engine isn’t used for a racing game.

Fable will still take place in Albion and will see you take on the role of Humphry, who was once the greatest hero of the lands and is forced out of retirement. Someone Humphry once took under his wings to train was highly skilled and went on to prove themselves returns years later to take over Albion. The visuals looks stunning, which shoudln’t come as a surprise due to the engine and the pedigree of the studio, there are a few snippets of gameplay sprinkled throughout the trailers that look very promising and the writing contains that dry British humor thanks to Playground.

Doom: The Dark Ages - November

If you need more than grinding demon skulls for ammo to get excited, I don’t think Doom The Dark Ages is for you. The long awaited sequel to Doom Eternal from 2020 is almost here. Doom: The Dark Ages will be the crown jewel for Xbox in 2025, which means a premium release window where the titans hang out, which is usually in that late October-November window.

The big changes that are coming to Doom The Dark Ages that we can see from the trailer including piloting a giant mech, a new parry mechanic, which in the trailer is done using a chainsaw shield and being able to fly around on a dragon.

The one big downside is that the score won’t be done by Mick Gordon, who did incredible work on Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. After the release of Eternal, there was a falling out between the composer and the studio.

Doom: The Dark Ages will be a prequel to Doom 2016 and will feature the origin story for the Doomslayer. According to Game Director Hugo Martin, the story will be more on the main path for players and less in the codex.

Silksong- November/December

Way back in June 2022 at the Xbox and Bethesda Summer Showcase, a little indie by the name of Silksong showed up and was infamously stated that all of the games shown would be released within 12 months. Obviously that didn’t happen and there isn’t any indication that it will happen in 2025 either, but it has to come out eventually.

Crowsworn and Silksong are linked together for a few reasons with one being that the head of marketing at both companies is the same person, Matthew Griffin. When he was asked if Crowsworn would release before Silksong, he said “no chance”.

People might think that Team Cherry are billionaires after the success of Hollow Knight, but no matter what Mongoose Rodeo haven’t released a game and they will need money, which means that they will need to release it, which logically means that Silksong will come out before it like the head of marketing said.

As for many people who think Silksong is vaporware, I actually think that while it might not have been initially intended, Team Cherry have embraced this silence. Absence makes the heart grow fonder as anticipation for the game has only grown since the reveal and you can verify this using Google Trends.

BONUS PICKS

There are more Game Pass titles like Perfect Dark and State of Decay 3 that are highly unlikely to release in 2025, but there are a few games that are a little more likely to release in 2025. Here are a few more bonus picks that have much better odds of releasing.

Gears of War E-Day

Gears of War 5 or Gears 5 initially released in 2019, which means that Gears of War: E-Day has been in development now at least five years.

Gears of War: E-Day will be the first time that The Coalition are able to use Marcus and Dom as the main characters, since E-Day will be a prequel that takes place 14 years before the events of Gears of War. In Gears of War 4, players assumed the role of JD Fenix, the son of Marcus and in Gears 5, you played as Kate Diaz. Gears 5 reviewed well with an 84 average, but commercially only placed seventh in sales in the US during the month it was released. However, at the time, it was the biggest launch on Game Pass. What is clear is that Gears of War needs to be a commercial blockbuster due to the size and length of development.

There is huge potential for blockbuster success with Gears of War: E-Day, as they are getting back to some of the core elements of the series. The core characters, the bond between the brothers in arms, and even the trailer including a new take on Mad World, the same song used from the original trailer nearly 20 years ago. Even the title going back to Gears of War instead of just Gears is a huge sign of how aware The Coalition of trying to make sure core elements are in place. They are trying to make sure what made the series special is still here, but in a fresh, new way.

Before the Coalition took over, the average development was about two years between projects. Even the time between Gears 4 and Gears 5 was only three years and The Coalition has only grown over the years. The only reason that Gears of War: E-Day might not release in 2025 is because 2026 would be the 20th Anniversary of the series and that might be something Xbox wants to double down on.

Mixtape - June-ish

Mixtape is on this list just for the soundtrack alone with songs from bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Joy Division, and Iggy Pop. It’s easy to imagine that the rest of the soundtrack will be just as incredible. Outside of the soundtrack, Mixtape looks has a stunning art direction and is being developed by Beethoven and Dinosaur, the BAFTA award winning studio behind 2021’s The Artful Escape.

Taking place against the backdrop of this incredible music and visuals is the last night of high school together with friends. Everyone likely has fond memories of their last few months and days in high school at a time in our life before the real reality set in. Being able to experience these moments, but with a fantastical spin and knowing that they are the last moments together sounds magical. The gameplay sounds like a mixtape of different games as well including skateboarding, hitting baseballs, setting off fireworks, exploring an abandoned theme park and flying.

Subnautica 2

Subnautica was not only a huge success, but along with PUBG, were huge successes for Xbox Game Preview, which is the early access program. The biggest change coming to Subnautica 2 is the addition of co-op. Subnautica 2 will feature the ability to play alone or with up to three other players. The adventure will be set on an all new planet that is too dangerous for humans to survive, which will require you to evolve your genetics and adapt.

Cronos: The New Dawn

The only game on this list that isn’t actually listed for Game Pass as of yet, but Xbox and Bloober Team have a strong history together. Their last two games before Silent Hill 2 Remake, Blair Witch and The Medium were both Day One releases on Game Pass.

In addition to coming off the Silent Hill 2 Remake, the trailer for Cronos gave strong hints of Dead Space with a weapon that looked like the plasma cutter, as well as what looks like something similar to the RIG suit with lights in a similar place on the spine. The trailer also evoked Returnal with the sci fi time traveling theme, both of which are incredible strong sci fi inspirations to pull from.

The game description reads “Cronos is set in a grim world where Eastern European brutalism meets retro futurist technology. You play as a traveler, who must scour the wastelands of the future in search of time rifts that will send you back to 1980’s Poland. Once there your mission is to locate key people who perished in the apocalypse. Using your all powerful harvester, you need to extract their essences and have them accompany you in the future.” One can only assume that the people you need to locate have an important role in altering the events that happen or have happened. They somehow the capability or knowledge to reverse the events of the past somehow if they are able to use future technology.

Bloober Team subverted expectations when they took one of the best survival horror games of all time and made it better in almost every conceivable way. After Silent Hill 2 , there is good reason to be excited about Cronos: The New Dawn and be optimistic they can stick the landing.

Blade

I can’t think of a better studio than Arkane Lyon to develop a game based on Marvel’s Blade. Blade will be a third person, action adventure set in the heart of Paris. The game will take players to a quarantined section of Paris in the middle of a supernatural emergency. After Blade Trinity, Arkane Lyon has good chance to reinvigorate the franchise.

Arkane Lyon is the perfect fit because they understand superpowers after developing Dishonored and Deathloop. They understand the mechanics needed like stalking prey, and more importantly, we have seen that they understand atmosphere.

Deathloop began development in 2018 and released in 2021. This means some part of development was at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also during the development of Deathloop, Arkane Lyon also co-devloped Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot with MachineGames.

If you take a look at their history, Arkane Lyon has been pretty efficient in their development cycles. Their first game alone was Dishonored 2, which released in 2016, followed by the standalone expansion Death of The Outsider in 2017, then the two Wolfenstein titles with MachineGames in 2019 and finally Deathloop in 2021. Consdering two years was the longest time between releases before and it will not be 4, there is good reason to hope that Blade will be released in 2025. Thanks to Arkane Lyon being part of Bethesda, Blade will be a Day One Game Pass title.