Microsoft has confirmed the subsequent batch of video games set to depart Xbox Recreation Move, and one particularly has prompted a level of frustration with subscribers: Stalker 2.
GSC Recreation World’s Stalker 2 launched as an Xbox console unique final 12 months alongside backing from Microsoft. Whereas it’s not an Xbox Recreation Studios-published online game, Microsoft performed a key function in its advertising and marketing forward of its much-delayed launch date in November 2024. It even labored with the Ukrainian studio on a 90-minute documentary that exposed the issue the builders confronted constructing the sport amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
As confirmed by the Xbox app, Stalker 2 is about to depart Recreation Move on November 16, 2025, alongside 4 different video games detailed under.
Video games set to depart Xbox Recreation Move on November 16, 2025:
It’s Stalker 2’s exit that has prompted essentially the most kerfuffle, with some Recreation Move subscribers criticizing the transfer a 12 months after launch, and simply forward of the sport’s launch on PlayStation 5 on November 20.
“Microsoft backed GSC by all of the delays and even the invasion, so it’s shocking they weren’t capable of safe a greater deal,” mentioned redditor JBishie. “I believe it’s a matter of precept: the sport was incomplete at launch and is just now beginning to resemble a completed product, but it’s being faraway from the service simply because the 1.7 replace approaches, and with the PS5 launch developing, the timing seems to be particularly poor.”
Certainly, the very fact Stalker 2 launched first on Xbox and PC with fairly a couple of issues, that are solely now ironed out in time for the PS5 launch, is being highlighted by those that imagine the sport ought to stay on Recreation Move for some time longer.
“It has been a 12 months, which is a reasonably normal time for non MiS video games,” mentioned VickyCriesALot. “I am unsure why that is such a shock to individuals prefer it’s unprecedented. Lmao.”
“As a result of the sport simply obtained to an honest state in that 12 months’s time?” countered davepars77. “It’s going to take one other 12 months to get the whole lot sorted, not even speaking about DLC but. It has been in early entry not a completed product so now’s a good time to tear it off the service.”
“I believe it’s a extremely unhealthy precedent {that a} recreation stays shorter in Recreation Move than we needed to look forward to it to launch, past ready MONTHS to grow to be correctly playable patch after patch,” complained X / Twitter person @ZakkenKloot.
“It is unhealthy that Stalker goes,” added @Matty_Cs_World. “It was good however principally launched very buggy. I do not like {that a} premium subscription is simply used as a beta testing space for devs. I did need to return to the sport. However I assume that ship has sailed.”
Xbox Video games Sequence Tier Listing
Xbox Video games Sequence Tier Listing
“Xbox has to cease funding unfinished early entry video games primarily for Recreation Move day one titles,” mentioned Minute-Use-8489. “Two video games that come to thoughts Stalker 2 & Payday 3 got here out very unfinished and took a 12 months for them to repair and replace every recreation than as soon as their good to play they get faraway from Recreation Move appears like a rip-off to the subscribers imo.”
It’s value noting many of the video games on this record can be found with a reduction of a minimum of 20% till they depart Xbox Recreation Move in early November.
It doesn’t assist that Microsoft not too long ago sparked a major backlash by climbing the worth of Recreation Move. Within the case of Final, it went up a whopping 50% to $29.99 a month. That quantities to an additional $120 a 12 months. To justify the worth hike, Microsoft upped the variety of day one releases per 12 months to 75, and added Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics for the primary time ever. There have been additionally upgrades to Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming high quality.
As for Stalker 2 on PS5, it launches on Sony’s console with full help for the DualSense controller’s options, together with haptic suggestions and adaptive triggers. Additional technical enhancements for the PS5 Professional are additionally in growth.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
