Microsoft has announced that People Can Fly’s co-op sci-fi RPG-’em-up is going to be available on Xbox Game Pass for consoles and Android devices (via Xbox Cloud Gaming) when it’s out next month.
This confirms speculation started very deliberately over the weekend by one of those obviously fake PR emails from “Melissa McGamepass” on the Xbox Game Pass Twitter account.
There’s probably a hint about a game in here somewhere honestly we can’t even keep up with all the announcements lately pic.twitter.com/Qz6LmX1Cs4
— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) March 12, 2021
I missed it because I’ve not had time to play the Outriders demo, but “a mysterious signal appearing in the distance” is apparently a not exactly subtle reference to it. Now I know!
Although Microsoft’s first-party games have been automatically included with Xbox Game Pass at launch since 2018, deals like this for third-party games are very infrequent – Bloober Team’s The Medium is one, and I can’t even think of a number two. Void Bastards, maybe? I can’t remember. Anyway, I’m guessing it involves a lot of politics and cash, and that this unconventional exception explains why Outriders won’t also be on Xbox Game Pass for PC (for now?).
Outriders launches on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass on 1 April.