Microsoft has announced the first batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for May 2022 and they include big names like NHL 22 and Trek to Yomi. May 2022 will feature several Xbox Game Pass day one exclusives for 2022, further cementing the value of the service for Xbox and PC owners.
April 2022 was a big month for Xbox Game Pass, bringing the multi-award-winning Life is Strange: True Colors to the service, along with former PlayStation exclusive Bugsnax. There hasn't been much in the way of first-party Xbox Game Studios since the launch of Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite at the end of 2021, but the service has been bolstered with a number of high-profile third-party titles, including Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in March. For now, the first-party schedule is looking dry, with the notable exception of Starfield launching in November 2022.
The official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account has unveiled the first titles that will be added to the service in May, with the official Xbox website giving their release dates. Arriving today, May 3, is Loot River, which will be followed by Trek to Yomi and Citizen Sleeper on May 5; Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition, Eiyuden Chronicles: Rising, and This War of Mine: Final Cut on May 10; and NHL 22 on May 15. It bears mentioning that Loot River, Trek to Yomi, Citizen Sleeper, and Eiyuden Chronicles: Rising are all day one launches on Xbox Game Pass. There have been rumors that FIFA 22 and Battlefield 2042 are coming soon, but they have yet to be officially announced.
There are also some titles leaving Xbox Game Pass in May, with the first one being Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition on May 10. There are several games leaving on May 15, including Enter The Gungeon, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Remnant: From the Ashes, Steep, The Catch: Carp and Coarse, and The Wild at Heart. The poor reception to the San Andreas remaster likely means few people will lament its loss, but Enter the Gungeon, Remnant: From the Ashes, and the Final Fantasy X remasters have seen new audiences through Game Pass, and will likely be sorely missed.
The first half of May is off to a good start, continuing an impressive 2022 for Xbox Game Pass. The rest of May is also looking promising, with games like Sniper Elite 5 coming to the subscription service on day one. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft has a big blowout planned for June, as that's when Sony's PlayStation Game Pass equivalent will launch, and Xbox Game Pass could be set for a killer row of titles in order to take some of the shine off the new PlayStation Plus.
Source: Xbox Game Pass/Twitter, Xbox