Elden Ring has been a huge hit, surpassing any previous From Software action RPG. Its success, combined with some potential leaks, has sparked speculation about an eventual Game Pass release. Below we break it down and discuss how and when the sprawling Lands Between may appear on Microsoft’s subscription service.
Is Elden Ring on Game Pass?
No, the massive Japanese RPG is currently not available on Game Pass.
Do we know if Elden Ring is coming to Game Pass?
No. Publisher Bandai Namco, developer From Software and Microsoft have not released any information or confirmation regarding any Game Pass release of the game.
Will Elden Ring come on Game Pass?
Could be! An error or leak, which is displayed Elden Ring is available to play in the cloud with Game Pass, sparked much speculation. It is absolutely possible that someone published in error a little too early. On the other hand, it could certainly be a bug as Microsoft claimed after it was fixed. While the flaw is currently worth raising an eyebrow, it’s not a solid indication of an eventual Game Pass release.
Bandai Namco’s past collaborations with Game Pass may provide some insight into how an Elden Ring release would roll out on the subscription service. For example, some Bandai Namco games that have since left Game Pass show a regular pattern: they come into service a few months after launch and leave Game Pass about a year after being included. Ace Combat 7 arrived on March 19, 2020, just over a year after release, and left Game Pass on June 15, 2021. Code Vein was released on September 27, 2019, joined Game Pass in December 2020, and departed on February 15, 2022 , just over two years later. Katamari Damacy Reroll launched on Xbox on November 20, 2020, joined Game Pass on August 5, 2021, and was removed from service on July 31, 2022.
However, the games currently on Game Pass break that expectation. Dragon Ball FighterZ, Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master, Scarlet Nexus, Pac-Man Museum+ are all currently on Game Pass. FighterZ is just one of these games that will launch on Game Pass a considerable time after launch as the game was originally released in January 2018. Pac-Man Museum+ surfaced just six days after its release, on June 3, 2022. Taiko no Tasujin released on launch day: January 26, 2022. Scarlet Nexus is a particularly interesting case, as Bandai Namco denied that the game would arrive on the service at launch, only to appear on Game Pass three months later.
All of these releases together don’t indicate any particular pattern, though bigger games like Ace Combat and Dragon Ball FighterZ tend to enter Game Pass at least a year after launch. However, none of the Dark Souls games published by Bandai Namco and developed by From Software have ever been on Game Pass. Also, many of the Bandai Namco games currently on the service have some sort of microtransaction element, which Elden Ring doesn’t currently have.
Based on the evidence we have, it seems unlikely that Elden Ring – which released in February – will appear on Game Pass this year, but we’ll report back if and when that changes.
GameSpot may receive a commission from retail offers.
The products discussed here have been independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may receive a portion of the proceeds when you purchase something featured on our site.
0 Comments