Xbox Game Pass Subscribers Losing Access to One of the Biggest Series in Gaming

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are about to lose access to one of the biggest and most celebrated series in gaming. The Xbox Game Pass library is constantly evolving, often adding new releases. This is great news for most subscribers who prefer to play the latest releases, but it also means entire series are sometimes added, removed, and then inaccessible via the subscription service. For example, at one point, Xbox Game Pass had several Final Fantasy games. Now, it has one, and it's losing this final game. More specifically, alongside six other games, Xbox Game Pass is losing Final Fantasy 13: Lightning Returns on February 28.

Of course, it's possible the game -- alongside others in the series -- could return in the future, but right now there is no word of this. However, until the game actually departs on February 28, subscribers can purchase it outright with a 20 percent discount. Once it leaves the subscription service, this discount expires. 

For those that don't know: Final Fantasy 13: Lightning Returns -- technically stylized as Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 -- debuted back in 2013, but only in Japan, not coming west until 2014. It's the sequel to Final Fantasy 13-2 and wraps the storyline of Final Fantasy 13. Upon release, the game garnered middling reviews. That said, if you're a fan of Final Fantasy 13, it's a must-play for narrative reasons. 

"Lightning Returns is the concluding chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII saga and series heroine Lightning's final battle. The grand finale of the trilogy brings a world reborn as well as free character customization and stunning action based battles," reads an official blurb about the game. "The world is sinking into a sea of chaos, and in thirteen days, nothing will remain. Though the planet is doomed, there is still hope for those who call it home. After centuries in crystal stasis, a hero has awoken-a legendary warrior on a god-given mission to save the souls of mankind. Her name: Lightning. Blessed with incredible strength and an arsenal of new weapons, she has everything she needs for the coming battle. Everything except time. And now she must make an impossible choice..."

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are both available via Xbox consoles, PC, and streamable via Cloud. The former runs at $10 a month, while the latter -- which comes with EA Play, Xbox Live Gold, bundles together both console and PC libraries, and has exclusive perks -- runs at $15 a month.