If Xbox Game Pass Wasn’t Already Having Its Best Year Yet…

It's been almost a decade since Xbox Game Pass launched, and for that entire duration, the subscription service has remained a constant source of great value for the masses. Though its price tag is routinely raised every few years, Xbox Game Pass still retains its moniker of being the "best deal in gaming," with it currently offering over 500 games for just a single monthly fee.

It also helps that a good portion of those 500 available titles are genuine critical darlings, and a surprising number of them come from this year alone. 2025 has undoubtedly been one of the best years in Xbox Game Pass history, and that notion's been cemented by its most recent day-one addition.

Xbox Game Pass Has Had Some Huge Day-One Hits in 2025

While Xbox Game Pass receives a plethora of new additions every month, by far its most exciting are the day one additions, titles that come to the service on launch day. It may sound hyperbolic, but 2025 has genuinely delivered some of the best Xbox Game Pass day-one games of all time:

	Top Critic Average on OpenCritic
Ninja Gaiden Black 2	81
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector	87
Avowed	80
Blue Prince	89
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered	82
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	92
Revenge of the Savage Planet	80
Doom: The Dark Ages	86
The Alters	86
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4	83
The Rogue Prince of Persia	80
Gears of War: Reloaded	81
Hollow Knight: Silksong	92

This table only includes day-one Xbox Game Pass titles that are sitting above an 80 on OpenCritic. There are a ton of good games that were just shy of making it, like South of Midnight and Atomfall.

Battle against a tough enemy - Clair Obscur Expedition 33

That's an incredibly strong list of day-one Xbox Game Pass titles, including three of the most critically acclaimed games of the year in Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and now Hollow Knight: Silksong. It's very likely that all three of these games will be appearing in this year's Game Awards ceremony, and it's possible they could be joined by others on the list, such as Doom: The Dark Ages (for Best Action) and The Alters (for Best Narrative).

And 2025 isn't over just yet. There are a plethora of day-one Xbox Game Pass titles yet to come this year, many of which have received glowing previews ahead of their upcoming launches. Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are just a few of the titles Game Pass subscribers can still look forward to playing this year.

Outer Worlds 2 Might Be the RPG We All Wanted Starfield to Be

Xbox Game Pass Is More Than Its Day-One Additions

The day-one launches might be the most exciting Xbox Game Pass additions, but the service is bolstered every month by a wealth of other games. They may not be brand new, but these 2025 Xbox Game Pass titles are just as acclaimed:

	Top Critic Average on OpenCritic
Balatro	92
Enter the Gungeon	84
Mullet Madjack	88
Borderlands 3	81
Grand Theft Auto 5	92
Far Cry 4	84
Anno 1800	82
Dredge	82
The Division 2	83
Metaphor: ReFantazio	93
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time	85
Against the Storm	89
Little Nightmares 2	83
Rise of the Tomb Raider	86
Persona 4 Golden	88
Dragon Age: The Veilguard	80
I Am Your Beast	80

Metaphor ReFantazio Sequel Director Comments

Even with three months left to go, it feels safe to say that 2025 is already Xbox Game Pass' best year yet. And if that wasn't the case before September with the likes of Blue Prince and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it certainly is now thanks to the stellar reception surrounding Hollow Knight: Silksong.

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