Xbox Game Pass is adding six new titles during the first half of February, which includes Atomic Heart as a day-one title. In it, you’re transported to a steampunk-ish utopian world where man and robot once used to live in harmony. A technological error caused the metallic beings to gain a mind of their own and wage war against humans. Armed with a power glove and cutting-edge weaponry, players are pitted into explosive encounters in search of the greater truth. Atomic Heart releases February 20 on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Just in time for the Super Bowl LVII event, Xbox is also bringing Madden NFL 23 to Game Pass. It will be available for free as part of the EA Play subscription, which is included in the Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Atomic Heart isn’t the only gory addition to Xbox Game Pass this month, as Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition slashes into Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox One, and PC, on February 16. This off-beat FPS deploys you onto a mythic Asian land, infested by demonic Yokai from Japanese folklore, in order to recapture an ancient dragon. Kitted with a katana and an arsenal of heavy firearms, you are set free onto the lands to slay enemies in a Doom-like, high-octane fashion. A bit before that, set forth on an epic, medieval adventure in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, as you build a party of soldiers, complete quests, raid camps, and command and engage in all-out battles against enemy troops. It will be available February 14, on cloud, console, and PC.
Cities: Skylines is coming to current-gen consoles by way of a ‘Remastered’ tag, which essentially takes advantage of their horsepower to show more tiles on screen — on par with the standard PC version. Arriving February 15 on cloud and the Xbox Series S/X, this city-building simulator puts you in the shoes of a mayor, as you design structures and streets, in addition to balancing basic public requirements such as education, law enforcement, healthcare, and more. It also features a day and night cycle, where once the sun goes down, traffic gets realistically slower. For the mecha heads out there, this month, Xbox is bringing SD Gundam Battle Alliance later tonight. In it, you acquire mobile suits and relive the greatest moments from Gundam history, which are getting tarnished by a mysterious phenomenon.
Beyond that, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers gain early access trial to EA’s response to the Monster Hunter franchise, Wild Hearts. Gates to the fantasy landscape of Azuma will open three days earlier on February 13, offering limited access to the game. If you decide to buy the game on launch, all progress and save data will be carried over, and you get a 10 percent discount for being an EA Play member.
Earlier this month, Xbox also brought the gothic roguelike Darkest Dungeon and the motorsport title Grid: Legends to Game Pass.
February 9
Madden NFL 23 — PC and console
SD Gundam Battle Alliance — PC, cloud, and console
February 14
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord — PC, cloud, and console
February 15
Cities: Skylines – Remastered — cloud and Xbox Series S/X (PS5 too)
February 16
Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition — PC, cloud, and console
February 20
Atomic Heart — PC, cloud, and console
Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed some titles to be leaving the service. On February 15, you can say goodbye to the Besiege preview, CrossfireX, Infernax, Recompile, Skul: The Hero Slayer, and The Last Kids on Earth.
And as usual, before they disappear from the service, you can choose to buy them at a 20 percent discount.