90%
Highly Likely
This week has meant a lot of change for Xbox, and it's clear that there's more change coming in the future. After Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass officially got cheaper, leaks of a new, cheaper tier of Game Pass called Xbox Game Pass Starter appeared online. Now, it looks like the list of games that'll come with that tier have leaked, and we have an idea of when it'll be available for players.
This comes from a new report from a very reliable leaker, Billbil-kun at Dealabs. They've proven to be a very credible source when it comes to a variety of topics, but especially when it comes to anything to do with a subscription service. They leak almost every PlayStation Plus update early, so while you should still take the report with an appropriate grain of salt, it's worth remembering that Billbil-kun has at least separated themselves from unproven insiders.
The leaks about Xbox Game Pass Starter earlier this week identified the structure of the tier to be very similar to the current version of Game Pass Essential, with some variations. It would include a time limit on how many hours of Cloud Gaming you get per month, and come with a subscription to Discord Nitro, but other elements, like a library of 50+ games, were the same.
Most importantly, though, is the fact that, according to the report, the Starter Edition will not include access to online multiplayer. This means that for console players, if you choose to go for a Starter Edition tier subscription, the multiplayer component of games you buy, like the latest Call of Duty or EA Sports FC game, will be inaccessible to you.
As for the games in the Starter tier, you can check out the current list of games available in Game Pass Essential in our Xbox Game Pass hub, which breaks down the different tiers and lists all of the games available at each tier of the subscription, including the ones at the Essential tier, to compare between the current official list of games available for Essential and the leaked list for Starter.
Unsurprisingly, the two lists are very similar, though there are a few differences between them. Billbil-kun's report does cite that those changes could be coming from elements of the Essential not being publicly updated, but it could also be that they'll simply just offer different titles.
Which could very well be the case since Goat Simulator is missing from the Starter list, but it's also leaving the Game Pass Essential tier at the end of this month. So the minor changes are likely just a difference of what's currently public and what's not, but when Starter launches the lists will be the same.
Speaking of when Starter launches, while Billbil-kun didn't commit to a date, the report does add that it'll launch "no later than mid-May 2026." So we could see the tier get its official launch next month, and Asha Sharma, chief executive officer of Xbox, continues her streak of making major changes in a short time period.
Here is the full list of games leaked by Billbil-kun at Dealabs:
- Among Us
- ASTRONEER
- Batman™: Arkham Knight
- Celestial
- Chivalry 2
- Cities: Skylines – Remastered (including Cities: Skylines – Windows 10 Edition & Cities: Skylines – Xbox One Edition)
- Control (including Control Ultimate Edition)
- Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- DayZ
- Dead Cells
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- DOOM 64
- DOOM Eternal
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Firewatch
- Gang Beasts
- Gears 5 (including GOTY edition)
- Golf With Your Friends
- Grounded
- Hades
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Human Fall Flat
- INSIDE
- LIMBO
- Medieval Dynasty
- Monster Sanctuary
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Overcooked! 2
- PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE EDITION
- PowerWash Simulator
- Psychonauts (Windows 10)
- Psychonauts 2
- Retro Classics
- Slay The Spire
- SnowRunner
- Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition
- Stardew Valley
- State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
- Stellaris
- SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
- Superliminal
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Standard Edition
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- TUNIC
- Unpacking
- Vampire Survivors
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- World War Z (including World War Z: Aftermath)
- Wreckfest
It'll be interesting to see the Starter tier when it is officially rolled out, and whether it's just a full-on replacement for the Essential tier, or a different tier that will also result in changes for the Essential and Premium tiers, if not on pricing, then with what's offered. The lack of online multiplayer suggests its not a replacement, but it feels like Game Pass is going to go through a lot of changes, so who knows where the Starter tier will land.
Hopefully we'll hear more official news soon, since this week has seemingly proven that under Sharma, Xbox will be a lot more communicative going forward.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
