Marvel’s Avengers heads to Xbox Game Pass — except for exclusive Sony content

By Otto Kratky Published September 28, 2021

Xbox Game Pass is constantly growing its library of new games, and in just a couple of days, it’s landing another whopper. Starting on September 30, Game Pass subscribers can download Marvel’s Avengers to their devices. However, considering the platform-exclusive plans the game has for some of its future content (read: Spider-Man), this entire deal seems a little awkward.

Marvel’s Avengers will be available on Game Pass for PC, console, and Cloud on September 30 and will feature every bit of the game’s content to date. Game Pass subscribers can access all of Marvel’s Avengers story campaigns, post-launch heroes, and bonus content as soon as it’s available. Naturally, that also includes the game’s recently launched War for Wakanda DLC, which gives players access to Black Panther and the character’s own story.

Hulk smashing in Marvel's Avengers. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

To sweeten the pot a bit, developer Crystal Dynamics has also announced that a quad XP event will be taking place from September 30 to October 4, giving new players a solid chance to level up their favorite heroes.

Recommended Videos

While the addition of Marvel’s Avengers to the Xbox Game Pass library is pretty sweet for the service’s subscribers, it raises some issues when you consider that one of the game’s most highly-anticipated pieces of content isn’t out yet and won’t even be available on Xbox consoles. Spider-Man is finally swinging into the game later this year in a new hero event, but only for PlayStation users. Anyone playing the game via Xbox Game Pass won’t have that opportunity, and having the game go live on that service before PlayStation users get their exclusive content is just a bit strange.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…

Gaming

Astro Bot isn’t on Xbox, but you can play these great platformers on Game Pass

Raz runs on a colorful stage in Psychonauts 2.

Astro Bot is an undeniable win for PlayStation. It's not just a celebration of the brand and many of the franchises that built it into what it is today, but it's also a fantastic 3D platformer that uses the PS5 hardware in creative ways. As a Sony-published game spotlighting the history of the company, it's obviously not on Xbox. In fact, I've seen a lot of people lamenting that Xbox does not have a lot of good platformers in the wake of Astro Bot's well-received launch.

Although it's accurate to say that Xbox doesn't have an exclusive quite like Astro Bot, a few excellent 3D platformers are available on Xbox Game Pass. Many of them are even IP now owned by Microsoft or outright published by Xbox Game Studios. If you have an Xbox console and Game Pass subscription and feel like you're missing out on Astro Bot, consider playing one of these games to make that feeling a little less painful.
Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass in September is all about sims, strategy, and star truckers

Key art for Age of Mythology: Retold.

If you like sims, strategy games, or driving various vehicles, you're in luck with Xbox Game Pass in September. Xbox announced the games coming to its subscription service in the first half of the month, and it includes a seemingly random, smaller list of releases that hones in on a couple of specific player types.

The big addition from an Xbox perspective is Age of Mythology: Retold, which is hitting the platform at launch on September 4. The real-time strategy game is published by Xbox Game Studios, so it's of course making a day-one appearance. It's developed in part by World's Edge, the makers behind the Age of Empires series, but instead of real-world armies, you'll pit mythological figures against each other.

Gaming

You can try the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier for $1

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

Xbox Insiders will be the first to check out the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. The plan costs just $1 per month for testers, who can also provide feedback, starting today.

Xbox has also clarified its plans for Game Pass Standard, the new tier for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, and which games will be available for it. In an Xbox Wire post published Tuesday, Xbox Game Pass senior community lead Megan Spurr noted that day-one titles will still only come to the Game Pass Ultimate and PC plans. The Standard tier will only have access to the regular Game Pass catalog. That's not nothing, but it does mean that if day-one games stay on the service, they might be available on Standard until "up to 12 months later or more."