Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda is now complete, which means that gamers should expect closer-than-ever collaboration between the two companies. We're still not sure whether future Bethesda titles will be Xbox-exclusive, or whether Bethesda will make games based on Microsoft licenses.
But we do know that starting tomorrow (March 12), Xbox Game Pass will gain 20 classic Bethesda titles, from the original Doom, to the cult favorite Fallout: New Vegas, to the inventive shooter Prey.
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Information comes from the Xbox Wire blog, following up on an announcement earlier this week, in which Microsoft stated that a slew of Bethesda games would soon hit Xbox Game Pass. The final list looks like a pretty eclectic mix of older and newer fare:
- Dishonored Definitive Edition
- Dishonored 2
- Doom (1993)
- Doom II
- Doom 3
- Doom 64
- Doom Eternal
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- The Evil Within
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Prey
- Rage 2
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
- Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood
That's pretty much all there is to it. Xbox Game Pass just got a huge infusion of Bethesda titles, and you can play them starting tomorrow. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions cost up to $15 per month, but you can often get them for as little as $1 per month, thanks to various promotions. There are hundreds of games available on a rotating basis, from first-party Microsoft fare like Halo and Gears of War, to beloved third-party hits like the Yakuza series.
There's one additional piece of good news, and one additional piece of bad news. Sixteen of the 20 games are available not just on Xbox consoles, but also on PC and Android. (Consult the Xbox blog for full platform availability; it gets a little in the weeds, depending on what you want to play.)
The bad news, however, is that not every single one of these titles is a brand-new Game Pass entry. Fans have been able to play some of these games for months, including Doom Eternal, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Still, there's no reason why Bethesda couldn't roll out additional titles in the coming months — and of the 20 games listed, there's almost certainly one that you haven't played before.
There's definitely still some room for additional titles, however. In terms of the series listed above, Fallout 3 would be welcome, as would the first Rage, the Doom reboot and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. But there's also no reason why Bethesda has to dump its entire catalogue at once. Now that Microsoft owns Bethesda, it's doubtful that either company will stop supporting Xbox Game Pass anytime soon.
