Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets new games: From The Quarry to Open Roads, know what's new

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Mastercard is now available for everyone in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. The Xbox Mastercard launched back in September 2023 as an exclusive perk for Xbox Insiders.

The latest update to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service lineup has added four games for players to check out, including three titles that were not previously announced. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is, as its name suggests, the ultimate version of Xbox Game Pass. It gives subscribers access to everything available in the other tiers, including PC Game Pass games, along with access to titles in the EA Play library.

While Xbox Game Pass is set to gain a selection of fantastic Day-One releases in the back half of April, subscribers may want to act fast to play the six games leaving the service in the coming weeks. To offset the amount of titles the platform offers, Microsoft always removes a handful of games whenever it brings in a new selection for players to experience. While that might sound like a bad deal, it makes sense given the already massive catalog on offer and users can still pick up the departing games for a discount before they eventually leave.

The Nintendo Indie World showcase confirmed the release date for Little Kitty, Big City, a game that will be coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one of its release. Xbox Game Pass announcements typically come directly from Microsoft itself, but there are times when reveals happen elsewhere. For example, sometimes companies drop release date trailers for games that have already been confirmed for Game Pass.

Microsoft has announced the second wave of April 2024 Xbox Game Pass additions. The upcoming batch consists of six titles, some of which will only be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

Xbox Game Pass is losing six games on Tuesday, April 30, so subscribers should prioritize them while they still can. Games leave Xbox Game Pass every single month, most often in two batches. The first wave of removals tends to happen on the 15th of every month, while the second wave comes on the last day of every month, whenever that may be.

If you enjoy the latest-generation Xbox console platforms, chances are you also subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. This subscription service offers a nice collection of titles for a monthly fee. Best of all, it guarantees you access to all of the Microsoft first-party video game titles at launch. That is quite a savings if you’re after the various Xbox-owned IPs. 

Harold Halibut, a unique narrative game developed by Slow Bros. is releasing day one on Xbox Game Pass, and subscribers will also be able to upgrade for free to Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition. Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass continues to offer an appealing library of games for members to enjoy, and the selection changes every month as new titles are added and others are removed.

Xbox Game Pass is soon losing Amnesia: Rebirth and five other titles. These games, which are set to leave the service on April 15, comprise an uncharacteristically big wave of Xbox Game Pass departures.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has added a fresh batch of perks for users to claim, including the Vault 33 Survival Kit for online multiplayer game Fallout 76. Those subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate get to enjoy all the benefits of the other Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers, including online multiplayer, the PC and console game library, EA Play titles, exclusive discounts, and a rotating selection of perks.

Brotato, an Xbox Game Pass indie game similar to Vampire Survivors, is getting local co-op as part of a free update coming later this year. Brotato first released on Steam last summer and has proven to be quite a hit on the platform. At the time of this writing, Brotato enjoys an «Overwhelmingly Positive» overall review rating on Steam, and it has enjoyed a similarly positive response on Xbox Game Pass as well.

Walmart+ has some good news for Xbox gamers looking for the latest deals for Xbox Game Pass. Members of Walmart+ can receive codes for the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship gaming subscription service, Game Pass Ultimate, at no additional cost. However, there's a catch.