Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 October 2024 lineup.
The headline here is of course the October 25 release of Black Ops 6, the first Call of Duty game to launch day-one on Game Pass. It comes a year after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has also seen the likes of Diablo 4 and Modern Warfare 3 arrive on Game Pass, and will, in November, see StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection hit the subscription service.
Black Ops 6’s launch straight into Game Pass is a big gamble for Microsoft. It hopes the power of Call of Duty will boost subscriber numbers and revenue (itself bolstered by the recent Game Pass price rise and restructure), but it comes with the risk of losing sales of the full-price game. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, was always against putting Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.
In an interview with IGN last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked how he’d handle his and Kotick’s different ideologies after the deal to buy Activision Blizzard closed. "Well, there's a different person making the decisions," Spencer laughed.
In the shorter term, tomorrow, October 16, South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. A day later, on October 17, Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to the Game Pass library via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard, and MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) hits Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as a day-one release.
Then it’s the big one: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) on October 25 via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass only. Also on October 25, last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate, and battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) via Game Pass Ultimate.
Moving on from October 25 and Call of Duty, Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to Game Pass via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard on October 29.
And finally for October, Dead Island 2 (PC) enters Game Pass for PC gamers via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 31 (it’s already available on Game Pass via Cloud and Console).
Microsoft also mentioned StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass) and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass), which are set to kick off Wave 1 of November 2024's Game Pass lineup.
Xbox Game Pass October 2024 Wave 2 Lineup:
- South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 16
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard - Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard - MechWarrior 5: Clans (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass - Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 25
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Cloud) – October 25
Game Pass Ultimate - Call of Duty: Warzone (Cloud) – October 25
Game Pass Ultimate - Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 29
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard - Dead Island 2 (PC) – October 31
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass - StarCraft: Remastered (PC) – November 5
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass - StarCraft II: Campaign Collection (PC) – November 5
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
As usual, a number of games leave Game Pass as new titles arrive.
Here’s what’s leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 31:
- Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Headbangers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Inkulinati (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Lonely Mountain’s Downhill (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Mineko’s Night Market (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
