Xbox Game Pass users should have a lot to look forward to in 2024, and the year is kicking off with a bang, thanks to the games being added to the service in January. As a subscription model that allows access to a large playable library, Xbox Game Pass has a mix of smaller titles and major offerings for a diverse experience overall. Not every inclusion will be for everyone, but it’s usually easy to find something that has some personal appeal without too much effort.
The newest batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass has been officially revealed on the Xbox Wire blog, and January 9 is an especially exciting date thanks to the addition of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to the service. For fans of the more expansive Assassin’s Creed games, it’s hard to go bigger than the huge map of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which offers a particularly lengthy adventure in 9th-century Scandinavia and England.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is also the perfect game to play before or after delving into the newest franchise entry, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which covers the past of Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character who first appears in Valhalla. The two titles represent opposite ends of the Assassin’s Creed spectrum, with Valhalla‘s RPG elements largely fading away in Mirage in favor of a focus on classic stealth, but both approaches have their fans. As a launch day title for the Xbox Series X/S, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can be played on the new systems, Xbox One, PC, or cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass.
AC Valhalla Isn’t The Only Cool Xbox Game Pass Addition
January 2024’s Xbox Game Pass slate has some other major titles in addition to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so anyone who’s already beaten it or lacks an interest in the franchise should still be well-covered. Hardcore World War 2 shooter Hell Let Loose, coming on January 4, is one obvious standout, delivering intense, large-scale battles that incentivize careful play and studied mastery. Resident Evil 2 arrives on January 16, taking players back to the horror of Raccoon City in a remake experience that’s achieved significant acclaim.
Xbox Game Pass May Be Free In 2024 (But There’s A Huge Catch)
It could be possible to play hundreds of games on Xbox Game Pass at no charge in the near future, but the service’s drawbacks would be significant.
The other Xbox Game Pass titles revealed for the month are Close to the Sun, Figment, Super Mega Baseball 4, We Happy Few, and Those Who Remain, released on a schedule that ranges from January 3 to 16. Dead by Daylight, Hello Neighbor 2, and Sea of Thieves are also all recipients of updates available through Xbox Game Pass.
All of these titles could be interesting, but Assassin’s Creed Valhalla might be the best to jump into in January, with plenty of appropriately snowy settings to double down on the wintry mood. Since titles can come and go on Xbox Game Pass, it’s also a good idea to try to build momentum on Valhalla early, which can take a lot longer to complete than might be expected. 2024 will expand Xbox Game Pass with plenty of exciting additions, but the arrival of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on January 9 will likely be one to remember.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Franchise
- Assassin’s Creed
- Platform(s)
- PC , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , PlayStation 4 , Stadia
- Released
- November 10, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Action , RPG , Adventure
- ESRB
- M
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
