After several years on Xbox Game Pass, The Long Dark will leave the subscription service next month. The Long Dark has been teetering on the brink of exiting the service for several months, having been listed in the "Leaving Soon" section before being renewed.
The Long Dark was released as part of Xbox Game Preview in 2015, a program that lets players purchase games that are still being worked on by the developers to be able to provide feedback and ultimately help mold the final version of the product. Popular survival games like Ark: Survival Evolved, We Happy Few, and Grounded have graced the program in the past. The story mode component of The Long Dark was released episodically, with the release of the first two episodes coinciding with the game's exit from Game Preview and full release in 2017. The popular survival game then made its debut on Xbox Game Pass in 2020 where it was able to grow it's following even more.
Hinterland Studio, the developers behind The Long Dark, announced on their website that the game will be leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 23. It adds that players should only purchase the upcoming Tales From The Far Territory DLC if they are current owners of The Long Dark or plan on purchasing the base game after it exits the service. The reason for this is that those who purchase the DLC without owning the base game will not be able to play it and will be stuck having to purchase The Long Dark as it will no longer be available free of charge on Game Pass.
Hinterland also provided information regarding console discount plans for Xbox players leading up to the release of the Tales From The Far Territory DLC on March 30. Players who are subscribed to Game Pass can purchase The Long Dark at a discount after it leaves the service on April 16. Xbox players who own The Long Dark will be able to grab the DLC at a discount later in April.
For many years it seemed like The Long Dark has had a strong partnership with Xbox Game Pass, so it's surely disappointing for subscribers and fans of the survival game itself to see it leave. That being said, the future of The Long Dark seems bright with its Tales From The Far Territory DLC on the way to consoles as well as discounts to help ensure Game Pass subscribers can keep on surviving in The Long Dark after it exits the service.
The Long Dark is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Hinterland Studio