Microsoft is making sure that Xbox Game Pass is kicking the year off with a bang, confirming multiple day one games coming to the service in January 2022. While day one Xbox Game Pass games are great, the service also gets a steady stream of older titles that add significant value as well. Microsoft has added three older games for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to check out as of Thursday, January 6, with two of the games also available to vanilla Game Pass subscribers.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate today thanks to the service's integration with EA Play. EA Play is a perk of having an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is slightly more expensive than typical Game Pass. It also comes with all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, so it really makes the most sense for anyone that plays Xbox games regularly.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is joined by Embr and The Outer Wilds. Embr is a chaotic co-op game about putting out fires, while Outer Wilds is a unique sci-fi exploration game that earned critical acclaim and won a number of awards when it first launched in 2019. Outer Wilds was actually already included in the Xbox Game Pass lineup previously, so its addition on January 6 is a homecoming of sorts.
Xbox Game Pass January 2022 Games
- Gorogoa - January 4
- Olija - January 4
- The Pedestrian - January 4
- Embr - January 6
- Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass) - January 6
- Outer Wilds - January 6
- Spelunky 2 - January 13
- The Anacrusis - January 13
- Nobody Saves the World - January 18
- Pupperazzi - January 20
- Rainbow Six Extraction - January 20
- Windjammers 2 - January 20
These three games are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the new Xbox Game Pass games for January 2022, however. Xbox Game Pass subscribers have a lot more to look forward to later in the month, with Spelunky 2 and early access co-op shooter The Anacrusis dropping on January 13. Then January 18 will see the release of day one Xbox Game Pass game Nobody Saves the World, which is an action-RPG from celebrated developer Drinkbox Studios, best known for its acclaimed Guacamelee games.
Then January 20 will be another big drop for Xbox Game Pass, with three more games being added that day alone, and all three day one Xbox Game Pass titles. On January 20, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can look forward to checking out day one games Pupperazzi and Windjammers 2, as well as Rainbow Six Extraction. Rainbow Six Extraction is arguably the first big new video game release of the year, and so it being part of Xbox Game Pass is definitely a big deal.
In the meantime, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can check out the games that have already been added to the service in January 2022, which includes the titles released today as well as games like puzzle game Gorogoa and platformers Olija and The Pedestrian.