Controversial 2024 Game Joins Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Lineup

Madden NFL 25 has become part of the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate lineup as of February 6. Despite receiving mixed reviews, EA Sports’ football simulation game has been a significant hit, ranking among the top-selling titles of 2024. Excitingly, Xbox Game Pass has more in store for February 2025, with Kingdom Two Crowns and Avowed confirmed, and additional offerings expected to be unveiled soon.

Just earlier this February, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate welcomed Madden NFL 25 to its expansive library. This addition marks the second new title of the month and the fourteenth since the beginning of the year. The game, which launched in mid-August 2024, was met with varied reception, evident from its modest score of 69 and a 36% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. Likewise, Steam user reviews echoed this sentiment, remaining at a "Mixed" rating six months post-launch.

EA Sports’ Madden NFL 25 became accessible for Xbox Game Pass subscribers from February 6, making it the second offering under Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the month. It also joined the ranks of PC Game Pass, with streaming options available through the Xbox Cloud Gaming feature—exclusive to XGP Ultimate.

Though both critics and players had mixed feelings about the game, Madden NFL 25’s sales figures tell a different story. Data from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella revealed it was the sixth best-selling game in the U.S. for 2024, despite being released late in the year. While reviews critiqued its aggressive monetization and perceived decline in gameplay fluidity compared to the earlier released EA Sports College Football 25, these factors didn’t seem to deter its commercial triumph.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

Here’s what’s set to arrive on Xbox Game Pass:

• Madden NFL 25: Added on Feb 6, available for Ultimate and PC tiers across Cloud, Console, and PC.
• Kingdom Two Crowns: Returns on Feb 13, accessible through Ultimate and Standard tiers via Cloud and Console.
• Avowed: Launching on Feb 18, available on Ultimate and PC, covering Cloud, PC, and Series X/S.
• Atomfall: Set for a day-one release on Mar 27 across Ultimate and PC tiers for Cloud, Console, and PC.
• Football Manager 25: Expected in March, exact release TBA, available on Ultimate and PC tiers.
• Commandos: Origins: Also anticipated with a March debut as a day-one release.
• South of Midnight: Coming on Apr 8, it’s available on Ultimate and PC.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Plan your adventure for Apr 24, with a day-one release.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages: Awaiting its May 15 launch on similar platforms.

Will Madden NFL 25 Ever Reach Xbox Game Pass Standard?

Madden NFL 25 is included in the EA Play catalog, meaning it’s unlikely to appear on the standard Xbox Game Pass tier. For players interested in exploring it via a subscription, a membership in PC Game Pass or XGP Ultimate will be necessary.

This month, Xbox Game Pass users can look forward to Kingdom Two Crowns, a strategic indie game where players guide a monarch defending against foes. Initially released in December 2018, it enjoyed a previous run on the service until late 2021. Following this, on February 18, Obsidian’s Avowed will grace the platform as a fresh RPG addition. Meanwhile, the Game Pass library is set to shed seven titles, including hits like Tales of Arise and Indivisible, just three days prior.