Xbox Game Pass is keeping subscribers on their toes this March, with a flurry of new additions, high-profile departures, and a fresh perk that’s got the gaming community buzzing. As of today, March 17, 2025, Microsoft’s flagship subscription service is proving once again why it’s a juggernaut in the gaming world—delivering value, variety, and a few curveballs.
New Arrivals Steal the Show
Kicking off the week, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can dive into 33 Immortals, a co-op action-roguelike from Thunder Lotus Games that dropped as a Day One release yesterday, March 16. This 33-player chaos-fest has players banding together as damned souls to defy divine judgment, and early impressions are electric. “It’s like Hades meets an MMO raid—wild and addictive,” one X user raved. Joining it is Mullet MadJack, a critically acclaimed FPS that hit the service last week, blending retro vibes with roguelite flair. At $19.99 on the Xbox Store, snagging it free via Game Pass feels like a steal.
Seven Games Exit, Including Sega Classics
But it’s not all good news. On March 15, Game Pass waved goodbye to seven titles, and the cuts stung. Headlining the departures are Sega’s Yakuza 5 and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, beloved entries in the gritty crime saga that had fans scrambling to finish their Kiryu sagas. Also out the door: Lies of P, the award-winning Pinocchio-inspired soulslike, alongside No More Heroes 3, Evil West, Solar Ash, and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. “Losing Lies of P hurts—Game Pass was the perfect way to try it,” lamented a Redditor. Microsoft’s biweekly purge is nothing new, but this batch hit harder than most, with another wave expected by month’s end.
Why the churn? Licensing deals and strategic curation, per industry insiders. “Games like Yakuza come with complex agreements—Sega might be prepping them for a standalone push,” speculated analyst Tara Lin. Still, subscribers get a heads-up (usually two weeks), and discounts on departing titles soften the blow. If you’re mid-playthrough, time’s ticking.
Cloud Streaming Gets a Boost
Amid the shuffle, Game Pass Ultimate members scored a win with an expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming’s “Stream Your Own Game” feature. Rolled out late last year, it now supports heavyweights like Assassin’s Creed Shadows (launching March 20) and Baldur’s Gate 3. Buy the game, and you can stream it to your phone or PC—no console required. “It’s a game-changer for travel,” one X post cheered. With 50+ titles in the beta pool, this perk bridges the gap for big releases skipping Game Pass at launch, like Ubisoft’s latest stab-happy epic.
The takeaway is clear: dive into the newbies, mourn the losses, and keep an eye on that cloud tab. Xbox Game Pass isn’t slowing down—it’s just shifting gears.
