Xbox Game Pass Starts April 2022 With A Bunch Of Big Names

If you've spent the last few days wondering what the new additions to Xbox Game Pass would be for the first half of April, you certainly aren't alone there. Don't worry, we've been checking for those details on a daily basis as well and now — after a longer wait than usual — Microsoft has revealed the games landing on Xbox Game Pass for early April 2022.

All told, this is a fairly strange month. There are some big names on the list — namely "MLB The Show 22" from none other than Sony's San Diego Studio — along with several popular EA franchises. However, many of the EA games were previously available on Xbox Game Pass and will be making their Xbox Game Streaming debut. So, in the end, we're left with a couple of noteworthy additions, a lot of cloud gaming newcomers, and one surprise for fans of story-driven adventure games. 

Seeing as we're already five days into April, it probably won't shock you to learn that the month's new arrivals have already gotten underway. "Cricket 22" (cloud and console) and "MLB The Show 22" (cloud and console) are both available on Xbox Game Pass today. It's still a little weird to see "MLB The Show" on Xbox consoles — let alone as a day-one release for Xbox Game Pass — since it's a PlayStation Studios series that was exclusive to PlayStation consoles up until last year. Still, we won't complain about seeing games that were once exclusive branch out to different platforms.

The new additions continue in April with the arrival of "Chinatown Detective Agency" (cloud, console, and PC) and cloud versions of "Dragon Age 2," "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare," and "Star Wars: Squadrons." All three of these games were previously available on the console and PC versions of Xbox Game Pass via EA Play, so here they're simply making their cloud debut for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

On April 12, we'll get what is likely our biggest surprise of early April in "Life is Strange: True Colors" on cloud, console, and PC. It's a little unexpected to see the latest "Life is Strange" game on Xbox Game Pass so soon after release, but again, you won't hear us whining. "Life is Strange: True Colors" will be joined by "Panzer Corps 2" (PC) and "The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk" (PC) on April 12, with "Lost in Random" (cloud, console, and PC) rounding out this batch on April 14.

As always, there are several perks that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will want to claim. Currently, Ultimate subscribers can get a 30-day free trial to Paramount+ — good for those who may want to check out the new "Halo" TV show — along with a three-month trial to Marvel Unlimited. While those are definitely the big ticket perks, there's also an O'dyllita gift bundle and Endless Possibilities weapon charm to claim in the console versions of "Black Desert" and "Apex Legends," respectively.

Finally, we come to the departing games for April 2022. On April 15, "MLB The Show 21," "Rain On Your Parade," "The Long Dark," and "Pathway" will all be leaving Xbox Game Pass. Three days later, on April 18, "F1 2019" will be departing as well, so finish up with these games if you happen to be in the middle of them currently.