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Xbox Game Pass adds Ark, but loses some heavy hitters

Emily Morrow
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Microsoft has revealed the titles coming to its Game Pass service this February. The biggest title is Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition, which includes the base title Ark: Survival Evolved as well as the game’s many expansion packs.

This month’s lineup also includes Telling Lies, another non-linear thriller directed by the creator of Her Story, and a variety of other indie titles. These additions to Game Pass come in the wake of Microsoft’s explosive announcement of its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard last month.

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Ark: Ultimate Survival Edition will be available on PC, console, and mobile devices via the cloud. Considered the “definitive collection” of Ark content, the game allows players to get up close and personal with dinosaurs as they explore a primeval world and stage battles.

Other available titles include the lauded Contrast, a puzzle-platformer that plays with light and shadow in a world based on 1920s vaudeville, and Skul: The Hero Slayer, a roguelite with over 100 playable characters and a variety of challenging battles. Game Pass subscribers will also have access to a Grounded update called Into the Wood and an Australia update for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here’s the full list of titles joining the service this month.

  • Contrast
  • Dreamscaper
  • Telling Lies
  • Besiege
  • CrossfireX
  • Edge of Eternity
  • Skul: The Hero Slayer
  • The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom
  • Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition
  • Infernax

Several high-profile titles are also leaving Game Pass. On February 15, subscribers will no longer be able to play Control, one of 2019’s best action games. Also leaving is Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age, the definitive remaster of the PlayStation 2 original. Here’s what’s leaving the service in February.

  • Control
  • Code Vein
  • Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
  • The Medium
  • Project Winter
  • The Falconeer

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Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
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