5 Games You Should Pick Up During the Xbox Game Studios Sale

While you can access many Xbox Game Studios titles through Game Pass Ultimate, wanting to own what you play digitally is also understandable. If you’ve been waiting to pick some Xbox-published games up, you’ll want to snag something during the Xbox Game Studios Sale currently running on the Microsoft Store. It began on May 19th and runs through May 26th, with discounted Xbox Game Studios games released across Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

From original Xbox games like Fusion Frenzy to newer Xbox Series X/S titles like Halo Infinite, plenty of games Xbox-owned studios have made or Microsoft has published over the years are discounted. It can be tough to sift through these discounts to determine what’s worth picking up. I wanted to spotlight five particularly great titles discounted right now that you should consider picking up.

1. Avowed (25% off)

Avowed, which was just released in February, has received its first hefty discount. Obsidian Entertainment’s excellent latest RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe plays more like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim than Baldur’s Gate 3, but still features some of the best writing and toughest choices you can find in an RPG. On top of that, the combat is actually pretty entertaining thanks to creative character builds like a gunmage and weapons with meaningful special abilities. Typically, Avowed costs $70, but the base game is discounted by 25% to $52.49. The game’s Premium Edition has also been discounted by 25%, now costing $67.49 rather than $90.

2. Gears Tactics (67% off)

Even though it was an Xbox Series X/S launch title, not enough people talk about Gears Tactics. It’s essentially XCOM with a Gears of War coat of paint, and it’s subversive to play a Gears of War game that’s more about taking your time and thinking tactically than running, gunning, and chainsawing anything in your way. Gears Tactics also went the prequel route before Gears of War: E-Day did, telling the story of Kate Diaz’s father, Gabriel. If you’re a Gears of War fan but have never played this spin-off, it’s worth playing to satiate your appetite as we wait for an E-Day release window. Gears Tactics still retails for $30, but you can get it at a 67% discount during the Xbox Game Studios sale and get it for just $9.89.

3. Lost Odyssey (75% off)

If you enjoyed the turn-based gameplay and narrative themes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you need to check out Lost Odyssey. Considered by some to be the true Final Fantasy XIII, this Xbox 360 RPG was written by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and taps into the emotional storytelling and captivating turn-based battles that earlier Final Fantasy games were known for. Unfortunately, it came out when Japanese-developed RPGs weren’t looked upon as fondly as they were several years beforehand and are now, so it didn’t make the impact it should’ve. Still, it’s backward compatible and fully playable on Xbox Series X/S, and is a natural follow-up to Expedition 33. Lost Odyssey is typically $25 if you want to buy it digitally, but it’s discounted by 75% to $6.24 during this sale.

4. Psychonauts 2 (67% off)

Double Fine is one of the most talented studios currently owned by Microsoft, and Psychonauts 2 is one of its best games. In Psychonauts 2, all of the different platforming “worlds” players explore are the inner workings of someone’s mind. It’s wacky, cartoonish, and over-the-top, but still has some meaningful portrayals of mental health problems and creates a universe you want to spend more time in. It’s my favorite 3D platformer not developed by Nintendo. It’s discounted by 67% during the Xbox Game Studios sale, priced at $19.79 rather than $60. You can also pick up the first game in the series for $3.29 as part of this sale if you want to play through the duology at once. Also, if you like to learn about the realities of game development, I highly recommend watching the Double Fine PsychOdyssey documentary on YouTube.

5. Sea of Thieves (50% off)

Finally, there’s Sea of Thieves, Rare’s live service pirate multiplayer game that was actually the first game that entered Xbox Game Pass on release day. Despite that, those with years invested in this game should probably take the step to actually own the game if they don’t already. Sea of Thieves is an underrated stalwart of the live service game space, and also features the closest thing to a new Pirates of the Caribbean game that we’ve gotten recently. All three versions of Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition are half off currently. You can buy the standard edition for $20, the Deluxe Edition for $25, or the Premium Edition for $30.