Summary
Xbox Game Passhas added two new titles, includingMetaphor: ReFantazio, one of the highest-rated games of 2024. The additions conclude what is so far the most content-packed month of 2025 for Microsoft’s subscription service, which has seen 17 newXbox Game Passreleases, excluding Standard-tier-only additions.
First launched in October 2024,Metaphor: ReFantaziodebuted to near-universal acclaimand fan adoration. The immensely positive buzz surrounding Atlus’s latest JRPG is reflected in its “Mighty” rating on OpenCritic, derived from a 98% reviewer recommendation rate, as well as an average score of 93. Based on these metrics, thePersonadeveloper’s newest title is one of the highest-rated games of 2024, only slightly behindAstro Bot,Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania,Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon, and—if counting DLCs—Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Seven months following its original release,Metaphor: ReFantaziomade its way to Microsoft’s subscription service, debuting as one of the final two games from theXbox Game Pass Wave 2 lineup for May 2025. The other member of this duo,Spray Paint Simulator, has also arrived today, May 29, marking the fifth day-one addition to the XGP catalog since the beginning of the month. Being a day-one title,Spray Paint Simulatorisn’t available on Xbox Game Pass Standard, but instead requires a PC- or Ultimate-tier subscription to access. Meanwhile,Metaphor: ReFantaziocan be played with any non-Core membership.
Console
Jun 26
Day-one (console) release. Available on PC Game Pass since October 2021.
Aug 26
Day-one release.
Spray Paint Simulatorhas yet to receive significant attention from critics, but OpenCritic currently lists it with a “Fair” rating, based on its first four reviews, with an average score of 67. While it seemingly won’t reachMetaphor: ReFantazio’s levels of acclaim, the newest title from Maryland-based North Star Game Studio should be able to stand out with its unique premise, adding to the selection of distinctivesimulation gameson Microsoft’s subscription service.
When Could Spray Paint Simulator Come to Xbox Game Pass Standard?
Since its introduction, Xbox Game Pass Standard has typically lagged six to twelve months behind XGP Ultimate and PC Game Pass in receiving day-one releases, which can no longer be classified as “day-one” titles by the time they reach it. This pattern suggests thatSpray Paint Simulatorcould be added to the Standard-tier library sometime between November 2025 and May 2026.
While next month’s Wave 1 lineup has yet to be officially announced,Xbox Game Pass already has an uncharacteristically large number of confirmed titles for June 2025. There are eight of them in total, includingCrypt Custodian,Symphonia, andThe Alters. Historical trends indicate that the full Wave 1 roster will be revealed on June 3.
