Xbox Game Pass’ new Standard tier removes more than 40 games

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Credit: Ninja Theory.

Microsoft’s new Xbox Game Pass tier system has gone live, with more than 40 games now only available via the most expensive subscription.

Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed it would be removing the Console tier from Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and replacing it with Standard and Ultimate Tiers. At the time it was said Standard tier subscribers would not have access to Day One releases, but it seems the cuts go even further than that.

As reported by Kotaku, more than 40 games that were previously available to all Game Pass subscribers are now only playable for those that sign up to the Ultimate tier, which costs £14.99 a month. These include the recently launched Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 as well as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Starfield and Diablo 4.

According to a player-curated list on ResetEra, the list of Game Pass titles which are no longer available to Standard subscribers is as follows:

Age of Mythology: Retold Standard Edition
Another Crab’s Treasure
Botany Manor
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Core Keeper
Creatures of Ava
Diablo 4
Dungeons Of Hinterberg
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Flock
Forza Motorsport Standard Edition
Galacticare
Go Mecha Ball
Harold Halibut
Hauntii
Heavy Weapon
Humanity
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Lightyear Frontier
Little Kitty, Big City
Magical Delicacy
MLB The Show 24
Neon White
Octopath Traveller 2
Open Roads
Payday 3
PlateUp!
Robin Hood – Sherwood Builders
Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends
Sea of Solitude
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Slime Rancher 2
SpiderHeck
Star Trucker
Starfield
Still Wakes the Deep
Tchia
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Rewinder
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
Valorant
You Suck at Parking

Microsoft recently confirmed it could be “up to 12 months or more” before Day One Game Pass releases are available to those on the Standard tier, but it seems the company has decided to retroactively apply that rule. However, these changes do not impact the PC Game Pass tier, which continues to get Day One releases on a subscription that costs £9.99 a month.

The move comes as Microsoft continues to invest in the Xbox Game Pass platform. As well as adding titles from across its newly acquired Activision Blizzard back catalogue, the company is also set to launch Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 as a Day One release in October.

In other news, Zayn Malik has spoken about his love of Yu-Gi-Oh! and how the franchise has influenced his music after taking part in a Master Duel tournament.

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