Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Adds Day-One Soulslike With Unique Death Mechanic

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On July 2025, another day-one title, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers,” has been added to the extensive library of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This marks the 16th game this month and the 94th new release for Xbox Game Pass since the start of the year.

Created by Chinese gaming studio Lenzee Games, the role-playing game titled “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” is set in 17th-century China during the final years of the Ming dynasty. The main character, Wuchang, is an amnesiac pirate struggling with the Feathering Disease, a fatal condition that leads to insanity. Initially announced in September 2021, it was unveiled as a launch title for Xbox Game Pass during the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase. A release date was confirmed at the end of April 2025.

Initially scheduled for release, the game “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” officially became accessible through Xbox Game Pass on July 24. In fact, gamers from the U.S. East Coast were able to start playing it as early as 10pm local time on July 23. Subscribers of XGP can download “Wuchang” for either the Xbox Series X/S or a PC system directly. For those without an Xbox Series X/S, the action role-playing game (ARPG) is playable on Microsoft’s previous generation console, the Xbox One, via the Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service, even though it may not be available for direct download on that platform.

New and Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

Game Game Pass Tier(s) Platform(s) Date Notes
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Jul 24 Day-one release.
Grounded 2 Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Jul 29 Day-one release.
Farming Simulator 25 Standard, PC, Ultimate Cloud, Console, PC Aug 1
Gears of War: Reloaded Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Aug 26 Day-one release.
Keeper Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Oct 17 Day-one release.
Ninja Gaiden 4 Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Oct 21 Day-one release.
The Outer Worlds 2 Ultimate, PC Cloud, PC, Series X/S Oct 29 Day-one release.

To start, the early reception for the game “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” has been predominantly favorable, but not extraordinarily so. On OpenCritic, it holds a “Strong” rating, with an average score of 75 and a recommendation rate from reviewers of 70%. This positions “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” in the top 63% of all games evaluated on the aggregator site. Critics have commended the game’s swift combat and seamless weapon-switching, as well as its Madness system, which they find to be a refreshing twist on the soulslike idea of death. Unlike other games, when the protagonist dies in “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers”, she only loses an amount of experience relative to her Madness level. This also increases the damage that she inflicts and receives. Once the meter is filled and the character perishes, a wicked doppelgänger appears to obstruct the protagonist’s efforts to recover lost assets.

From another perspective, some critics pointed out that the game seemed overly reliant on familiar themes and didn’t effectively explore the struggling protagonist and amnesia motifs it embraces. Contrary to the general expectation of challenging gameplay in soulslikes, Wuchang was often deemed inconsistent. Players found some battles too simple and others excessively difficult compared to the rest of the game. However, the level of difficulty in games is a matter of personal preference, so each player’s experience with Wuchang may differ significantly.

When Will Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Come to Xbox Game Pass Standard?

Currently, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers,” being a brand new launch title, is not accessible on Xbox Game Pass Standard at the moment. Typically, games like this from developer Lenzee are expected to be added to the standard library somewhere between January and July 2026. In the interim, another day-one release is slated for Xbox Game Pass in July, specifically the early access version of “Grounded 2,” which is scheduled to appear on the 29th.

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2025-07-24 05:04