Games from third party developers and publishers being added to and leaving Xbox Game Pass through a revolving door is the ordinary course of business, dictated as it is by the deals that Microsoft agrees with those companies, but since the subscription service’s inception in 2017, the expectation has been that first party exclusives published by Microsoft itself will remain permanently on the service. It seems, however, that there’s going to be a break in the pattern.
Remedy Entertainment’s 2016 third person sci-fi shooter Quantum Break is apparently leaving Xbox Game Pass by April 15. The game can be found in the service’s “Leaving Soon” section. Whether this is because of engagement numbers of for other reasons is unknown, since Microsoft hasn’t yet made an official statement regarding the game exiting the service’s catalog.
It is worth noting that We Happy Few, developed by first party Xbox studio Compulsion Games, also left Game Pass earlier this year. However, the game was published by Gearbox Publishing, whereas Quantum Break was published and is fully owned by Microsoft. Whether this will be a temporary change remains to be seen, but it’s certainly an unprecedented move for Microsoft to take a first party game off Xbox Game Pass’ catalog.