Update (6/8/2021 1:15 PM EDT): In a statement given to VGC, Bandai Namco denied rumors of Scarlet Nexus on Xbox Game Pass. A publisher representative said, "“We have no plans to bring Scarlet Nexus to Xbox Game Pass at this time and are excited for its launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC on June 25.” The original story continues below.

According to a new rumor from GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb, it's possible that action-RPG Scarlet Nexus will launch as an Xbox Game Pass title on day one. Such a partnership between publisher Bandai Namco and Microsoft wouldn't come across as too much of a surprise, given Scarlet Nexus' reveal during the Xbox 20/20 showcase.

The anime-inspired RPG takes place in the future, where a peculiar psionic hormone in the human brain grants special powers to certain people. It didn't take long for brain-hungry Mutants to descend on the world after the hormone's discovery. The Others Suppression Force (OSF) was established as a result, providing humanity with a fighting chance thanks to the organization's commitment to defeating the Mutant forces. Intriguing premise aside, Scarlet Nexus has also garnered interest because of its dual protagonist gameplay, which players can try out now with a demo. If a recent rumor proves accurate, the free gameplay demo won't be the only way players can access the experience at a significantly reduced cost.

Related: Scarlet Nexus Loads Faster On PS5 Than Xbox Series X/S

Appearing on Episode 60 of The XboxEra Podcast (via GamingBolt), GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb said of Scarlet Nexus, "I think that's a Game Pass day one game, I think is what I heard." He went on to add that Game Pass deals for "relatively big" titles usually "get made very, very late." Thus, if Microsoft secure Scarlet Nexus for Game Pass, the announcement may not go live until a week or so before the RPG launches later in June. As is always the case, though, rumor and speculation of this nature should be taken with a pinch of salt.

It's worth remembering that Outriders counts among the Game Pass deals that Microsoft didn't finalize until weeks before release. Publisher Square Enix and Microsoft confirmed Outriders' day one Game Pass release on March 15 of this year, approximately two weeks ahead of the co-op shooter's April 1 arrival at retail.

Xbox Game Pass continues to prove a formidable force. In addition to receiving day one access to Outriders, members were also treated to MLB The Show 21 - an especially noteworthy feat considering the game's status as a PlayStation Studios-developed project. Unsurprisingly, the quality content and good publicity continues to attract new users, evidenced by the service exceeding an impressive 23 million subscribers as of April 20, 2021.

Next: Battlefield 6 Xbox Game Pass Launch Possibly Hinted At By EA, Microsoft

Scarlet Nexus slashes onto PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on June 25.

Source: The XboxEra Podcast via GamingBolt