Xbox Game Pass Standard Expands Library with Notable Additions from Ultimate Tier
Microsoft’s gaming service welcomes new titles across different subscription tiers.
Xbox Game Pass has expanded its Standard tier offerings with seven fresh additions, including two games from the Ultimate tier – Gigantic: Rampage Edition and the console version of Starbound. These releases mark a significant update to the service’s growing library.
The landscape of Xbox Game Pass has evolved since Microsoft introduced the Standard tier in September 2024. Under the new structure, day-one releases became exclusive to Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, with titles typically migrating to the Standard tier after six months.
The January 22 update brought five additional titles to the Standard tier: Flock, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Magical Delicacy, Tchia, and The Case of the Golden Idol. These games were originally part of the service in July 2024, before the Standard tier’s introduction. Existing Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers maintained access through a grandfather clause, while new Standard subscribers gained access through this update.
Xbox Game Pass Reveals Upcoming January Release Schedule
Most of the new additions support both Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, with Tchia being the exception as a Series X/S exclusive. Among these releases, Gigantic: Rampage Edition stands as the only completely new addition, while Starbound’s PC version has been available to Ultimate and PC Game Pass members since 2020.
The service has announced five more titles arriving in January 2025. Eternal Strands and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will launch on January 28, followed by Shady Part of Me on January 29. Sniper Elite: Resistance joins on January 30, with Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector arriving on January 31. This same date will see the departure of several games, including the acclaimed action-adventure Death’s Door.
Looking ahead to February, Far Cry New Dawn will become available across all non-Core tiers on February 4. This Ubisoft shooter leads the first wave of February 2025 additions, with more announcements expected around this date, following Microsoft’s typical Tuesday announcement schedule.