It looks like MLB The Show 21 isn’t the only huge sports game Xbox Game Pass subscribers are getting day one this year. Taking to Twitter, industry insider and leaker Nick “Shpeshal Ed” Baker noted that if Xbox Game Pass had both FIFA 22 and Madden 22 on day one, it would be a huge step for Xbox Game Pass to achieve mainstream relevance. Right now, the subscription service is popular, but it hasn’t penetrated the mainstream market yet, which it will need to do to achieve longevity. To do this, you have to have the year’s biggest releases, including the annual sports game, available on day one of the subscription service.
Now, it’s worth noting that this is all that Baker says. On the surface level, this is just an observation. There’s nothing about it that directly teases this is what Microsoft and EA are planning. However, given Baker’s status as an industry insider and leaker, many Xbox fans have taken it as a hint at what’s coming.
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Unfortunately, Baker has not clarified whether or not this is simply a statement or a tease, perhaps suggesting it’s the latter. Whatever the case, if Baker provides more information or any type of clarification, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. In the meantime, take everything here with a grain of salt. Not only is all of this information of the unofficial variety, but it’s not 100 percent clear if this is a tease or hint.
If this does happen, it could be limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs an extra $5 a month. In return for this extra $5 a month, you get an Xbox Live Gold subscription and access to the EA Play library, the latter of which suggests this could be locked behind Ultimate.
Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are available — via PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S — for $10 and $15 a month, respectively. For more coverage on the subscription service and all things Xbox, click here or check out the relevant links below: