Okay, so Xbox Game Pass just got five new games! Three of them are for the basic Essential plan, which is cool, and two are for the Premium plan. They’ve got more Premium games planned for later this month, but it sounds like these Essential additions are probably all we’re getting for the year. Not bad, though!
I’m so excited that Monster Train 2 and Spray Paint Simulator are now available with Game Pass! They’ve actually been part of PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate since May – Monster Train 2 dropped on the 21st, and Spray Paint Simulator followed on the 29th. The best part is that both games were added to the service on day one, which is awesome!
Monster Train 2 and Spray Paint Simulator Reach Xbox Game Pass Premium After 6-Month Delay
On December 3rd, Xbox Game Pass Premium members gained access to both Spray Paint Simulator and Monster Train 2. Usually, when games are added to the Premium tier six months after their release on Ultimate, it suggests they’ll only be available for about a year. This means both of these games might be removed from Xbox Game Pass around May or June 2026. While it’s still early days – the Standard/Premium tier has only been around for 15 months and doesn’t get many day-one releases – the pattern since September 2024 shows that most games not meant to stay on the service long-term are moving down to lower tiers after about six months.
3 More Titles Now Available on Xbox Game Pass Essential
The Xbox Game Pass catalog was updated on December 3rd with three new games for the Essential tier: Stellaris, World War Z: Aftermath, and Medieval Dynasty. These games are expected to remain available for a long time, unlike some games added to the higher Premium tier. Since Xbox Game Pass Core launched (replacing Xbox Live Gold in September 2023), the $9.99-per-month Essential tier has added games without removing any. Microsoft has said the Essential library won’t be permanent, but games added to this tier usually stay available for over a year.
Xbox Game Pass Essential is getting 10 games in 2025, including Batman: Arkham Knight, Monster Sanctuary, and Tunic, which were added in late March. No more games will be added to this tier until spring 2026.
All Games Added to Xbox Game Pass Core/Essential in 2025
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Mar 26)
- Monster Sanctuary (Mar 26)
- Tunic (Mar 26)
- Cities: Skylines – Remastered (Oct 1)
- Disney Dreamlight Valley (Oct 1)
- Hades (Oct 1)
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Oct 1)
- Medieval Dynasty (Dec 3)
- Stellaris (Dec 3)
- World War Z: Aftermath (Dec 3)
What’s Next for Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft is adding eight more games to its subscription service before the end of December. Six of these titles—including Routine (available December 4th) and Mortal Kombat 1 (December 10th)—will be available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Two more games, 33 Immortals and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, are being added to the Premium tier.
Xbox Game Pass Release Calendar (Officially Confirmed Dates Only)
| Date | Game | Game Pass Tier(s) | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3 | Monster Train 2 | Premium | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since May 2025. |
| Dec 3 | Spray Paint Simulator | Premium | Cloud, Console, PC | Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since May 2025. |
| Dec 3 | Stellaris | Essential | Cloud, Console, PC | Available on XGP Ultimate since Aug 2019, PC GP since Oct 2019, XGP Standard (now Premium) since Sep 2024. |
| Dec 3 | World War Z: Aftermath | Essential | Cloud, Console, PC | Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Dec 2023, XGP Standard (now Premium) since Sep 2024. |
| Dec 3 | Medieval Dynasty | Essential | Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S | Available on PC GP since Jun 2021, XGP Ultimate since Oct 2022, XGP Standard (now Premium) since Sep 2024. |
| Dec 4 | Routine | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC | Day-one release. |
| Dec 4 | 33 Immortals | Premium | Cloud, Console, PC | Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Mar 2025. |
| Dec 4 | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Premium | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Dec 2025. |
| Dec 9 | Dome Keeper | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one (Series X/S) release. |
| Dec 9 | A Game About Digging A Hole | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S | Day-one (Series X/S) release. |
| Dec 9 | Death Howl | Ultimate, PC | Handheld, PC | Day-one release. |
| Dec 10 | Mortal Kombat 1 | Ultimate, PC, Premium | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | |
| Dec 11 | Bratz: Rhythm & Style | Ultimate, PC, Premium | Cloud, Console, PC | |
| Feb 5 | Menace | Ultimate, PC | PC | Game Preview; day-one release. |
| Feb 13 | High on Life 2 | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
Microsoft’s recent announcements suggest Xbox Game Pass might not have its usual second wave of game additions in December 2025. While last year’s announcement came a bit late, stretching into January, there’s been no indication of that this time. This makes it harder to predict when the next set of games will be revealed. Usually, we’d expect to hear about these games around the third Tuesday of December, but now it’s possible we won’t find out until early January 2026.
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2025-12-03 10:05