Microsoft is removing 12 games from Xbox Game Pass this month in two separate waves, giving subscribers a shrinking window to play titles before they disappear from the service. Five games already left on January 15, and seven more are scheduled to depart on January 31.
The removals represent a significant shift in the Game Pass library, with departures ranging from indie darlings to family-friendly adventures. Some titles have spent less than a year on the service, while others have been available for much longer.
Background
Xbox Game Pass operates on a rotating model where games regularly join and leave the service. Microsoft typically announces departures in waves throughout each month, giving players time to finish games or purchase them at a discount before removal. The January removals are part of this standard cycle, though the scale of departures this month is notable.
The service has seen significant turnover in recent months as licensing agreements expire and publishers decide to remove their titles. Game Pass subscribers have grown accustomed to the rhythm of arrivals and departures, but the January schedule is particularly packed with removals that span multiple genres and release dates.
Key Details
The First Wave: January 15
Five games departed on January 15. The most significant loss was Neon White, a critically acclaimed action platformer that scored 89 on Metacritic. The game had been on Game Pass since July 2024, giving it roughly 18 months on the service.
Also leaving were Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, Road 96, The Ascent, and The Grinch: Christmas Adventures. Road 96, another well-regarded title with a score of 78, had joined Game Pass just over a year earlier in January 2025.
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures had the shortest tenure, spending only three months on the service after arriving in October 2025. The Ascent, a cyberpunk action RPG, lasted just six months after joining in July 2025.
The Second Wave: January 31
Seven more games are set to leave on January 31. This batch includes Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, a narrative-driven role-playing game that launched on January 31, 2025, exactly one year before its removal. The game continues the story of an escaped android navigating life in an unstable asteroid belt and was released across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch.
Also departing are Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, a multiplayer racing game released in January 2025 that shifted the franchise's focus to snowy terrain. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, which launched on January 28, 2025, will leave just days after its anniversary on the service.
The remaining departures include Starbound, a 2D sandbox adventure that arrived on Xbox consoles in October 2024 after its 2016 PC release. Shady Part of Me, a puzzle platformer centered on light and shadow that has been on Game Pass since December 2020, is also leaving. PAW Patrol World, an open-world adventure for younger audiences released in September 2023, rounds out the list alongside Cataclismo, a dark fantasy strategy game that reached full release in March 2025.
"With January 31 approaching, subscribers have limited time to experience these titles before they exit the Game Pass lineup."
What This Means
The combined departures represent a significant reduction in Game Pass offerings for January. Subscribers who want to keep playing these titles have two options: finish them before the removal dates or purchase them at a discount, which Microsoft typically offers before games leave the service.
For players interested in narrative-driven experiences, the loss of Citizen Sleeper 2 and Road 96 removes two story-focused games from the library. Those who enjoyed action games lose both Neon White and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap. Family-friendly content takes a hit with the removal of PAW Patrol World and The Grinch: Christmas Adventures.
The timing of these removals is particularly notable for several games. Citizen Sleeper 2, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap all launched in late January 2025 and are now leaving almost exactly one year later, suggesting licensing agreements may have been structured for annual terms.
Microsoft has indicated that more games will be added to Game Pass in February 2026, with High on Life 2 confirmed as a headline title for next month. However, the net effect of January's departures will likely result in a smaller overall library by month's end, offsetting the gains made earlier in the month.
Subscribers should act quickly if they want to experience any of these titles before removal. The January 31 deadline leaves players with just two weeks from the current date to complete or start any of the seven games scheduled for that date.
