Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has not one, not two, but three new day-one games, one of which is the biggest release of 2025. Per usual, the three-day-one games are limited to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier, the most expensive tier of the subscription service, which currently runs at $30 a month. That said, while one of these games may justify this steep monthly price, the other two don’t really come close, and are unlikely to win over an increasing number of Xbox fans who are done with the subscription service.
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As always with Xbox Game Pass, there is no information on how long any of the three games below will be available via the subscription. Common Xbox Game Pass contracts are six months, one year, and two years. One of the games in question — the big addition — is an Activision game, and thus an Xbox game, so it may very well be a permanent addition.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Console and PC)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 needs little introduction. It’s another Call of Duty game, and specifically another Black Ops game from Treyarch. And according to its 84 on Metacritic, it is a pretty good installment in the series, if you can look past its pretty awful single-player campaign.
Winter Burrow (Console and PC)
Winter Burrow is the latest game to get in on the cozy trend, but mixes it with survival elements. From developer Pine Creek Games and publisher Noodlecake, it boasts a Metacritic range of 67 to 78, which isn’t great. However, its user reviews are a bit better. On Steam, it has an 80% approval rating, and on the Microsoft Store, it has 4/5 stars.
In the game, you play as a mouse who returns to their childhood home to find it in ruins, and to find your aunt missing. Your job is to find her, restore your former home, and meet the local residents. You will have to watch out for wildlife that wants to kill you, though.
Pigeon Simulator (Console and PC)
Pigeon Simulator is the worst of the new day-one games. It doesn’t have a Metacritic score, but the new Xbox Series X console exclusive does have a user score on the Microsoft Store, the only platform it is available to purchase from, and its score is a lousy 2/5 stars.
The latest game from tinyBuild sounds like it is the latest goofy simulator game in the vein of Goat Simulator and more, but it’s not. If anything, it’s more like a Dark Souls game than these types of simulators, and it’s pretty challenging. In it, you play as a pigeon, but not just an ordinary pigeon, but a pigeon that is part of the Paranormal Examination & Kontainment unit, whose job is to protect New Squawk City.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.
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