Microsoft first announced Xbox Game Pass in February of last year, initially making it available to Insiders on the Preview Alpha ring. The promise was that for $9.99 per month, users would have access to over 100 games. The subscription service was made available on June 1, exactly one year ago.
In a blog post today, the firm recapped the last year, noting some major milestones. For one thing, Game Pass is now available in 40 markets around the world. But most notably, Microsoft recently announced that all games from Microsoft Studios will be available on the service beginning on day one. That includes popular games like Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2, along with upcoming titles from the Halo, Forza, and Gears of War franchises.
Microsoft also said that Game Pass creates new opportunities for gamers and developers. The firm says that as gamers have the freedom to explore and play more games without having to commit to them, as their habits are changing. Gamers are playing more games than they ever have before, and Microsoft says that that includes games that aren't part of Game Pass.
Along with creating large communities around new AAA titles, communities are being revived around the classics. Players are introduced to new genres that they might never have tried before, and then go on to purchase the next big game from the developer.
Microsoft says that it's going to continue investing in the subscription space, and that it will add more great games over the course of this year.
