Xbox Game Pass has added five more titles across its two lower tiers, with the Essential library receiving three games and the Premium catalog getting two. While more titles are scheduled to reach Premium subscribers later in December, today’s update likely marks the final 2025 additions to the Essential tier of Xbox Game Pass.
The new Premium titles are Monster Train 2 and Spray Paint Simulator, which have been part of PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate since the second half of May 2025. Monster Train 2 launched on May 21, with Spray Paint Simulator following eight days later. Both were day-one additions to the subscription service.
Monster Train 2 and Spray Paint Simulator Reach Xbox Game Pass Premium After 6-Month Delay
Xbox Game Pass Premium subscribers received Spray Paint Simulator and Monster Train 2 around midnight local time on December 3. A six-month delay between Ultimate- and Premium-tier releases typically points to one-year licenses, meaning both of these titles could leave Xbox Game Pass in May or June 2026. The sample size is still small (the Standard/Premium tier lacking day-one games is only 15 months old), but since September 2024, most day-one releases have only taken this long to move down a tier when they weren't intended to stay on the service for (much) more than a year.
3 More Titles Now Available on Xbox Game Pass Essential
The December 3 catalog update also saw Xbox Game Pass Essential receive three new titles: Stellaris, World War Z: Aftermath, and Medieval Dynasty. Unlike the Premium-tier additions, these games are not likely to leave Microsoft’s subscription service in the near future. Since Xbox Game Pass Core replaced Xbox Live Gold in September 2023, the $9.99-per-month tier—renamed to XGP Essential this October—has only gained new games, without removing any. While Microsoft has stated that the Essential library will not remain permanent, titles added to this entry-level tier are generally expected to stay on the service for longer than a year.
Following today’s update, the list of 2025 additions to Xbox Game Pass Essential now totals 10 titles, starting with Batman: Arkham Knight, Monster Sanctuary, and Tunic, which joined the tier in late March. No further additions to the Essential-tier catalog are expected before spring 2026.
All Games Added to Xbox Game Pass Core/Essential in 2025
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Mar 26)
- Monster Sanctuary (Mar 26)
- Tunic (Mar 26)
- Cities: Skylines – Remastered (Oct 1)
- Disney Dreamlight Valley (Oct 1)
- Hades (Oct 1)
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Oct 1)
- Medieval Dynasty (Dec 3)
- Stellaris (Dec 3)
- World War Z: Aftermath (Dec 3)
What's Next for Xbox Game Pass
Eight more titles are confirmed to be coming to at least one tier of Microsoft's subscription service before the end of the month. The December 2025 lineup includes six Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles, ranging from Routine on December 4 to Mortal Kombat 1 on December 10. The remaining two are Premium-tier additions: 33 Immortals and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Xbox Game Pass Release Calendar (Officially Confirmed Dates Only)
Microsoft’s latest roster announcement indicates Xbox Game Pass may not have a Wave 2 lineup for December 2025. A similar pattern occurred last year, though the official December 2024 lineup announcement extended into January, which is not the case this time around. As a result, predicting the next key date for the service is more difficult than usual. In a typical month, the Wave 2 reveal would be expected around December 16, i.e., the third Tuesday of the month. But with no such update anticipated, the next Xbox Game Pass lineup announcement may arrive as late as early January 2026.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
