December Arrivals and Day-One Launches on Xbox Game Pass
December is here, and Xbox Game Pass is rolling out a fresh batch of games and updates. New additions include recent hits such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, crowd-pleasers like Mortal Kombat 1, the unusual simulator A Game About Digging a Hole, and several titles arriving on Game Pass at launch. For the official announcement, see the Xbox Game Pass December update.
Among the day-one releases, Death Howl debuts on PC and handheld for subscribers on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. This Soulslike, deck-building adventure follows a bereaved mother on a supernatural quest to reclaim her son—an emotional premise that helped it land in the Tribeca Festival’s official games selection earlier this year. A playable demo is currently available on Steam for anyone who wants to try it before release.
Routine, another launch-day entry, is a first-person horror experience that strands players aboard an abandoned space station. You’ll piece together what happened, learn how to survive, and uncover why the forces you face perceive you as the antagonist. Long-awaited by fans since its 2012 announcement, Routine arrives on December 9, 2025 across console, PC, cloud, and handheld via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Below are the December day-one titles and their Game Pass availability:
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Ultimate, PC tiers) — December 1, 2025
- Total Chaos (Ultimate, PC tiers) — December 1, 2025
- Young Suns (Ultimate, PC tiers) — December 1, 2025
- Death Howl (Ultimate, Premium, PC tiers) — December 9, 2025
- Routine (Ultimate, PC tiers) — December 9, 2025
Beyond launch-day releases, Game Pass is also welcoming several previously released titles. Highlights include the fighting reboot Mortal Kombat 1 and the genuinely literal digging simulator A Game About Digging a Hole, which became a surprising talking point earlier in 2025. The full list of incoming, non-launch titles for December is below.
- Clover Pit (Ultimate, Essential, PC tiers) — December 1, 2025
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Ultimate, Premium, PC tiers) — December 2, 2025
- A Game About Digging a Hole (Ultimate, Premium, PC tiers) — December 9, 2025
- Dome Keeper (Ultimate, Premium, PC tiers) — December 9, 2025
- Mortal Kombat 1 (Ultimate, Premium, PC tiers) — December 10, 2025
Microsoft is also expanding access across subscription levels. A number of titles previously limited to higher tiers are being unlocked for Essential subscribers this month, while some Ultimate- and PC-tier exclusives remain unavailable to Premium members. Notable tier additions and changes include:
- Medieval Dynasty — added to Essential tier on December 3, 2025
- Monster Train 2 — added to Premium tier on December 3, 2025
- Spray Paint Simulator — added to Premium tier on December 3, 2025
- Stellaris — added to Essential tier on December 3, 2025
- World War Z: Aftermath — added to Essential tier on December 3, 2025
- 33 Immortals (Game Preview) — added to Premium tier on December 4, 2025
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — added to Premium tier on December 4, 2025
December also brings updates for several Game Pass titles. Expect fresh content for Sea of Thieves, Dead by Daylight, and Palworld this month. Separately, the Burning Springs update for Fallout 76 launched on December 2, 2025 and is available to download now, though it isn’t listed as a Game Pass addition.
Source: Polygon
