Xbox has been left without any major first-party titles to compete with God of War Ragnarok since the release of Starfield was postponed, but the company does have one weapon it may use.
To Xbox: God of War: Ragnarok: Thunder
One of the busiest times of the year for the video game business is the fall/holiday season when players are likely to have their wish lists and most anticipated games planned out in advance. Bayonetta 3, Modern Warfare 2, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and God of War Ragnarok are among the most anticipated titles for autumn 2022. Since its prequel was so well received, the sequel is shaping up to be a must-play this autumn and is among the most anticipated games of recent years.
If you look at the future releases, you’ll see that there’s a big gap between the number of third-party games, first-party Sony and Nintendo games, and significant Xbox games. Even if the Xbox isn’t completely out of the race at the moment, what with impending releases like Grounded’s 1.0 upgrade, the delay of Starfield earlier this year is starting to show. Starfield was the most anticipated game of the season before the postponement of God of War: Ragnarok was announced. Without it, Xbox would have little chance against Sony’s God of War: Ragnarok, despite the fact that rivalry between the two is good. Fortunately, Xbox does have a secret weapon that might give Sony’s next blockbuster a run for its money, provided that Xbox manages to harness it.
Its ace in the hole is Xbox Game Pass. Sony’s recently introduced PS Plus tier offers a library comparable to Game Pass, although the company itself acknowledges that it will take years for PS Plus to catch up to Game Pass. And since new games are released to Game Pass often, it’s like getting presents all year long. Several games were launched for it in 2022, and the year was a success overall, but the company has not yet announced a title for the fall of 2022 that can stand up to God of War: Ragnarok. No major third-party deals have been reported, despite widespread speculation that Microsoft will strike one in order to bolster Game Pass’s autumn portfolio. The typical timing of its announcements makes that implausible.
Starfield, Redfall, and even Hollow Knight Silk song are just a few of the great games coming to Xbox Game Pass over the next year, but they’ll need a power play to compete with God of War Ragnarok this fall. New additions to Xbox Game Pass, such as Immortals: Fenix Rising and even Death Stranding, are great but don’t blow anyone away. If Microsoft were to strike a contract with any one business, though, it may all change.
To compete with Melania, Xbox Game Pass need a Game of the Year contender.
Elden Ring would be one of Xbox’s largest additions to date if the company managed to strike a deal with FromSoftware to bring it on the service. That’s saying a lot given the service’s previous history with critically acclaimed games like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, but Elden Ring is in a league of its own. It has been a huge commercial success, and it has set the standard for video games in 2022. Nonetheless, many may be hesitant to purchase the game because of the reputation of FromSoftware titles for being challenging. However, releasing it on Xbox Game Pass would attract a larger audience to the game, and since it would likely only be available for a short time, it might help elevate both FromSoftware’s and Xbox’s profiles this autumn. The Xbox, FromSoftware, and the players would all benefit from this.
As a matter of fact, FromSoftware has an unrivalled history of success in the Souls genre. Elden Ring is widely expected to repeat the success of its predecessor, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which won Game of the Year at The Game Awards. God of War also took home the award for Game of the Year, and some believe that God of War: Ragnarok will be a worthy rival to Elden Ring. Microsoft’s next Game of the Year candidate for Xbox One’s Game Pass will give God of War: Ragnarok a run for its money. should it decide to act in such a way. Such an announcement would be spectacular, especially for those who have already played and defeated Elden Ring, even on other platforms, and it would certainly steal part of Sony’s thunder this autumn.
This would be the greatest possible outcome for this season’s competition. One might make the case that Xbox has to bring a first-party game to the table, but Xbox Game Pass is its ace in the hole, and using it would be a wise move. First-party Xbox titles including Starfield, Redfall, Fable, Perfect Dark, Fable, Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and dozens more are also on the horizon. Thus, while 2022 might use a lift right now, it’s obvious that the fight for this generation is still heating up.
On November 9th, PS4 and PS5 owners may get their hands on God of War: Ragnarok.
