Strategy Sequel Skips Xbox Game Pass Launch

SteamWorld Heist 2's release on Xbox Game Pass has been officially retracted. Despite earlier marketing materials suggesting its inclusion, the developer's PR team, Fortyseven, has confirmed the Game Pass listing was an error. The strategy game, a sequel to the acclaimed 2015 title, will still launch on August 8th across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The initial Game Pass announcement, made in April alongside the game's trailer, featured the Game Pass logo inadvertently. Subsequent social media posts referencing Game Pass availability have since been removed.

This isn't the first time a game's Game Pass inclusion has been mistakenly advertised; a similar incident occurred with Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, attributed to a template error.

Although disappointing for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, the service still offers a strong selection of SteamWorld games, including the recently added SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Dig 2, as well as last year's day-one release, SteamWorld Build.

While SteamWorld Heist 2 won't be a day-one Game Pass title, July boasts a robust lineup of other day-one releases on the service, including Flock, Magical Delicacy, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and the highly anticipated Frostpunk 2. These diverse titles offer a compelling alternative for Game Pass users seeking new experiences.