Leak suggests Xbox is planning to release a ‘Starter Edition’ for Xbox Game Pass that comes free with Discord Nitro
A new leak suggests that Microsoft could be preparing a brand-new subscription tier for Xbox Game Pass, and it might be very different from what players are used to. Called the Game Pass Starter Edition, this new plan appears to be aimed at making the service more accessible, especially for casual players.
The first signs of this new tier showed up through code discoveries in Xbox Cloud Gaming. Not long after that, another leak hinted at a possible collaboration with Discord. A promotional image reportedly showed the Starter Edition being bundled with Discord Nitro, which currently costs around €9.99 per month. This lines up with earlier hints from Xbox leadership about working more closely with Discord.
Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition coming soon?
According to the leak, which comes from reliable leaker Billbil-kun, the Game Pass Starter Edition would offer access to over 50 games, but with a major limitation. Players would only get 10 hours of cloud streaming per month. This is a big shift compared to existing Game Pass tiers, which offer unlimited access. The idea seems to be targeting users who don’t play often but still want to try out a variety of games.
There are a few more important differences. Unlike other Game Pass plans on console, the Starter Edition reportedly does not include online multiplayer access. However, the plan will still include in-game benefits and reward points, similar to other subscription tiers.
Starter Edition game library
The game library is expected to include a mix of popular titles, and the full list includes the following games:
- Among Us
- ASTRONEER
- Batman™: Arkham Knight
- Celestial
- Chivalry 2
- Cities: Skylines – Remastered (including Cities: Skylines – Windows 10 Edition & Cities: Skylines – Xbox One Edition)
- Control (including Control Ultimate Edition)
- Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- DayZ
- Dead Cells
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- DOOM 64
- DOOM Eternal
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Firewatch
- Gang Beasts
- Gears 5 (including GOTY edition)
- Golf With Your Friends
- Grounded
- Hades
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Human Fall Flat
- INSIDE
- LIMBO
- Medieval Dynasty
- Monster Sanctuary
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Overcooked! 2
- PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE EDITION
- PowerWash Simulator
- Psychonauts (Windows 10)
- Psychonauts 2
- Retro Classics
- Slay The Spire
- SnowRunner
- Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition
- Stardew Valley
- State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
- Stellaris
- SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
- Superliminal
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Standard Edition
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- TUNIC
- Unpacking
- Vampire Survivors
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- World War Z (including World War Z: Aftermath)
- Wreckfest
As for the release date, nothing has been officially confirmed yet. However, according to Billbil-kun, the Starter Edition could launch sometime around mid-May 2026. The leak comes shortly after Xbox unveiled new prices for Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass earlier this month.
