Microsoft confirms that at least six games are being removed from its Xbox Game Pass subscription service in the middle of February.
Microsoft's key strategy this generation is Xbox Game Pass, an ambitious subscription service where fans get access to well over 100 games in exchange for a relatively small fee. Microsoft ensures that there are constantly new games added to Xbox Game Pass as a way to keep fans subscribed, including brand-new, day one titles that ensure that it practically pays for itself if one enjoys the company's first-party games.
There are plenty of new games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February 2022, with Microsoft already releasing some day one titles for the month. There are even more new games coming to Xbox Game Pass later in February as well, with subscribers having a lot to look forward to between what's already been announced and what has yet to be revealed. But just like other subscription services, Xbox Game Pass also loses content on a monthly basis, with February 2022 being no exception to that rule.
Microsoft has not revealed all of the games that are leaving Xbox Game Pass in February 2022 just yet because of the way it handles these announcements. Microsoft likes to inform its Xbox Game Pass subscribers in two week chunks, revealing everything that's coming and going for the next couple of weeks. Xbox Game Pass games that are leaving typically are all given the boot on the same day, with a batch of games removed on the 15th of each month and then on the last day of each month.
So while Xbox Game Pass subscribers don't know yet the games that will be removed from the service come February 28, they do know what games will be leaving on Tuesday, February 15. Microsoft has confirmed that six games will be leaving the Xbox Game Pass lineup that day, so anyone interested in playing them or picking them up at a 20% discount should plan accordingly.
One of the biggest games leaving Xbox Game Pass on February 15 is Control from Remedy Entertainment. Control earned widespread critical acclaim when it first released in 2019 and is generally considered one of the better action games of recent years. On the bright side, there will still be titles from Remedy Entertainment readily available on Xbox Game Pass, including the Xbox-exclusive Quantum Break and the upcoming CrossfireX, which has a campaign developed by Remedy.
Control will be joined by Code Vein, a game that has been described as an anime take on FromSoftware's Dark Souls franchise. Code Vein certainly has its fans, and so anyone interested in the Soulslike genre should consider giving it a shot through Xbox Game Pass while they still can.
Control and Code Vein are relatively newer games that are being removed from Xbox Game Pass, but they will be joined by a notable older title as well. Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age is the remastered version of the critically-acclaimed PlayStation 2 game Final Fantasy 12. Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age brings the game to modern consoles with modern conveniences, earning mostly positive reviews at the time of its release.
Final Fantasy fans will no doubt be sad to see Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age removed from Xbox Game Pass, but many likely saw it coming. The writing was on the wall for Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age's Xbox Game Pass removal after other Final Fantasy games were removed from the lineup. It seems that the older main series Final Fantasy games are leaving Xbox Game Pass behind in favor of PlayStation Now, with Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age now available through Sony's subscription service instead.
Control, Code Vein, and Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age all sting, but one of the more notable removals is The Medium. The Medium is one of the first-ever Xbox Series X console exclusive games, though it eventually made its way to PlayStation 5. A survival-horror game inspired by classic titles like Silent Hill, The Medium was developed by Bloober Team and earned mostly positive reviews when it first launched. Its status as one of the first-ever Xbox Series X console exclusives makes it especially sad to see it go, though the bright side is that the game is relatively short so Xbox Game Pass subscribers with a Series X or S console handy should have plenty of time to play through it before it's gone.
And finally, Project Winter and The Falconeer are also being removed from Xbox Game Pass come February 15, bringing the total number of games being removed to six. Keep in mind that even more Xbox Game Pass games will be getting removed at the end of February as well, so subscribers should keep an eye out for that announcement in the coming week.
Sony launches a new website for its PlayStation VR 2 headset containing information about the next-generation device and its controllers.
Dalton Cooper is an editor for Game Rant who has been writing about video games professionally since 2011. Having written thousands of game reviews and articles over the course of his career, Dalton considers himself a video game historian and strives to play as many games as possible. Dalton covers the latest breaking news for Game Rant, as well as writes reviews, guide content, and more.
