These Major Games Will Hit Xbox Game Pass On Launch Day
Xbox Game Pass service is becoming one of Microsoft's most-touted services. Bethesda has recently announced it will be launching two of its biggest upcoming titles on day one through Xbox Game Pass, in addition to traditional digital and physical releases. Specifically, Bethesda will launch The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield on Game Pass on their respective release dates.
In a GamesIndustry.biz interview with Director of Bethesda Todd Howard at the Developer:Brighton Conference on November 2, Howard revealed some key information regarding next-gen game development, possible game delays, and the use of Xbox Game Pass for upcoming Bethesda titles. Howard pinpointed Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, two of the company's most anticipated titles in years to come, as two games that will take advantage of Xbox Game Pass on day one.
While Xbox Game Pass users can look forward to access to the two games through the service, Howard didn't offer any information regarding the releases of either Starfield, whose leaks may have been confirmed recently, or The Elder Scrolls 6. However, Howard emphasized the scale of Starfield's development team, which is about five times that of Fallout 4's development team.
The announcement of The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield's upcoming additions to Xbox Game Pass also comes about two months after Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company. As such, Bethesda using Xbox Game Pass as an avenue for release on day one may signify the proximity of the new relationship between Microsoft and Bethesda.
Furthermore, the fact that two of Bethesda's most anticipated games will launch on Xbox Game Pass demonstrates the service's dominance among Xbox gamers. There are over 15 million Xbox Game Pass users as of September 2020, which is up by 50% from April, when the service had approximately 10 million subscribers.
That number may continue to grow further if Microsoft continues to expand its Xbox Game Pass content. With its acquisition of Bethesda, Microsoft was able to add some of Bethesda's games to the Xbox Game Pass library, including Fallout: New Vegas. More players may start to jump on board as Microsoft increases the Xbox Game Pass library size even further.
Xbox and PC gamers can subscribe to the Xbox Game Pass service at $9.99 per month, which includes access to the Game Pass library and exclusive deals and discounts. Alternatively, they can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $14.99 a month, which includes the same benefits as well as access to Microsoft's xCloud gaming service and Xbox Live Gold.
The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield are currently in development with no known release dates.