Microsoft slims down the Game Pass library each month, and there are many reasons why.
Launched in 2017, Xbox Game Pass is something of aparadigm shiftin the world of video games.
But why does Game Pass lose games?
After17 games were removed from the Game Pass library in February 2025, some might be wondering why.
Another reason a game might be removed from Game Pass is due to licensing.
Many games feature licensed music or other forms of licensed content.
Those licenses have terms, and to adhere to them, sometimes a game gets removed or updated.
Why would Microsoft do this?
For Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft said itcame down to"agreements with licensing and other partnerships ending."
That’s as specific as Microsoft got.
It’s a disappointing situation, for sure.
For what it’s worth, Madden NFL 24 is also still available on Game Pass.
That is no longer true.
PC Game Pass offers similar benefits for $12/month.
A game also doesn’t normally get removed from Game Pass without warning.
And of course, more games are added to Game Pass each month.
Another possibility is just a simple money deal.
Still other potential arrangements include payments based on usage or spend, Spencer said.
Sometimes, that means that games even make a return to Game Pass after leaving," Microsoft said.
The Devolver Digital-published game originally left Game Pass in 2022.
Devolver wasamong the first high-profile critics of Game Pass.
Sometimes, that means that games even make a return to Game Pass after leaving."
You are, instead, essentially renting access to games.
It seems unlikely, but Microsoft could stop offering Game Pass tomorrow, as an example.
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