Remnant: From The Ashes and Remnant II have been added to Xbox Game Pass.
Wario64 has confirmed the change for both games. You can see their respective store pages below:
As is the case with other Game Pass additions, you would have to pay extra to get the extra content on the special editions of the game, but the standard edition is also on a discount.
Both titles are also optimized for Xbox Series X|S, and the store listing notes they are available for cloud streaming as well.
The Remnant franchise generally brings together elements from Soulslikes and third person shooters, for an experience that is simultaneously familiar but unique from either game genre. Remnant II just released in July of this year, and is enjoying a spot as one of the notable games in one of the best years for video game releases. Remnant II also has 2 apparent award nominations, as Best Multiplayer Game in the Golden Joystick Awards, and as Best Action Game for The Game Awards 2023.
Now, something that even Remnant’s most ardent fans may not realize is that this franchise’s studio, Gunfire Games, are essentially the same people who made the Darksiders games. Without getting lost in the details, the developer of the first two Darksiders games, Vigil Games, was broken up in 2013. Days later, Crytek would acquire most of Vigil’s staff to form Crytek USA. Crytek USA would itself split off from their parent company the following year, as the man behind both studios, David Adams, decided to go it alone and founded his own studio, Gunfire Games.
Unfortunately, as you can imagine, Gunfire was one of many studios that was acquired by THQ Nordic, meaning it is also part of Embracer. As of this writing, Remnant publishing duties has been moved by Embracer to fall under Gearbox Publishing, so that’s the name we see on these Xbox listings.
That makes the Remnant games just another brick lining the walls of Game Pass, but if you haven’t tried these games, you shouldn’t sleep on them. The first Remnant is a somewhat experimental title, imperfect, but with some clear potential. Remnant II realizes that potential, elevating the franchise and Gunfire to one of those mid-sized studios that fans should keep an eye on.
Remnant II is undisputably the one worth playing between them, but if you have Game Pass, it’s merely the one you should pay first. It’s exceptional titles like these, that some gamers may hesitate to pay full retail for, that are perfect for Game Pass.