Far Cry 6 and Pillars of Eternity Cap Off Stellar December For Xbox Game Pass

While there are plenty of new games to play as 2023’s fantastic year comes to a close, Xbox Game Pass is putting the final touches on an excellent month for the service. 

Far Cry 6 hits Cloud, Console, and PC today in a solid entry into the open-world first-person action franchise. PC folks can also grab Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition, one of the best RPGs from 2015. Those on Xbox have been able to grab it for some time. Today’s release brings it to the PC side of Xbox Game Pass.

Far Cry 6 sticks to the formula that made the franchise popular while offering plenty of ways to liberate its newest locale, Yara. 

While Baldur’s Gate 3 brought old-school RPGs to the masses in 2023, meet the spiritual successor to that franchise and helped revitalize the genre when it was released to critical acclaim in 2015.

December shows yet again what a crazy value Xbox Game Pass can be. Here’s a quick rundown of every game that hit the service this month:

• Remnant II
• Spirit of the North
• SteamWorld Build
• Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• While the Iron’s Hot
• World War Z: Aftermath
• Goat Simulator 3
• Against the Storm
• Tin Hearts
• Far Cry 6
• Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition

I haven’t played all of them, but you can’t go wrong with Remnant II, SteamWorld Build, Rise of the Tomb Raider, World War Z: Aftermath, Far Cry 6, and Pillars of Eternity.

And while we regularly enjoy new games coming to the service, it also means we lose a handful. On December 16, four games are leaving the service:

• Chained Echoes
• Rubber Bandits
• Opus Magnum
• Potion Craft: Alchemist

We also know of at least two games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass. Persona 3 Reload is listed as “coming soon” and has an official release date of February 2, 2024. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is also in the “coming soon” section and is set for release on April 23, 2024.

2024 should also bring the start of Activision Blizzard games coming to Xbox Game Pass. That could happen anytime, but a good bet for an announcement would be the usual Xbox Showcase each year in June.