Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is a fantastic service that allows players to access games on subscription. While Microsoft Studios titles are always available, the service is a revolving door for third-party games. As such, Microsoft has announced it has removed five games from the Game Pass library.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Shenmue I, Shenmue II, Thimbleweed Park, and Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition are all being removed. Microsoft says all those titles will be taken of Xbox Game Pass by the end of this month.
If you are unfamiliar with Game Pass, it is available on Xbox One consoles as Xbox Game Pass. The service allows users to pay a monthly subscription ($9.99) to have access to hundreds of games that are available digitally and on demand.
For users who want those games, once they leave Game Pass you will have to buy them. Now is the best time to do that because Game Pass members receive a 20% discount on the titles. Once they leave the service the discount will be removed.
Changing Catalog
Microsoft puts new titles on Game Pass more than it takes them away, which is why this removal is worthy of mention.
During this month, Microsoft has announced several new titles coming to the service. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game, Mother Russian Bleeds, Train Sim World 2020, NBA 2K20, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Pikuniku are all arriving in the coming weeks.
Critics of the Game Pass model believe the catalog should only grow and not have games removed. It is unclear how Microsoft handled licensing, but it seems similar to streaming services such as Netflix. In other words, licenses end, and content is removed sporadically.
If you are interested in signing up for Xbox Game Pass, it is worth checking what games are available at the official site here.