Xbox Games With Gold For January Get An Early Reveal

We're still a couple of weeks out from the beginning of January, so it came as a bit of a surprise to see Microsoft reveal next month's Games with Gold today. Microsoft probably wanted to ensure that it got this announcement out there before folks start taking time off for the holidays, but regardless of the reason, we know that the Games with Gold for January will cover a pretty wide range of genres.

First up for Xbox One is Styx: Shards of Darkness, where you'll play as the titular goblin thief as you attempt to rob a city full of Dark Elves. Styx: Shards of Darkness first launched in 2017, and though it only received middling reviews when it released, it may still be worth downloading for fans of stealth games.

We're guessing, however, that most Xbox One owners will be interested in the second offering next month. Batman: The Telltale Series will be joining Shards of Darkness as the Xbox One's second free game, and it's worth noting that this isn't just the first episode of the episodic game that's free – instead, all five episodes are included in this Games with Gold offering, so you'll get the complete experience.

On the Xbox 360 side of things, we'll see Tekken 6 and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on offer. LEGO Star Wars in particular makes a lot of sense, given the fact that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres in theaters tomorrow.

Styx: Shards of Darkness will be free through Games with Gold from January 1st to January 31st, while Batman: The Telltale Series will be free from January 16th to February 15th. As is usually the case, the two Xbox 360 games will split the month down the middle, with Tekken 6 going free from January 1st to January 15th and LEGO Star Wars II available from the 16th to the 31st.