Microsoft has confirmed the latest batch of titles slated to exit Xbox Game Pass, and one in particular has sparked significant frustration among subscribers: Stalker 2.
GSC Game World’s Stalker 2, an Xbox console exclusive, launched last year with considerable backing from Microsoft. Although not a first-party Xbox Game Studios release, Microsoft played a crucial role in its promotion leading up to its long-awaited debut in November 2024. They even collaborated with the Ukrainian studio on a 90-minute documentary, highlighting the immense challenges developers faced while creating the game amidst Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Xbox app reveals that Stalker 2 is scheduled to leave Game Pass on November 16, 2025, alongside four other titles:
Games Departing Xbox Game Pass on November 16, 2025:
- Stalker 2
- Football Manager 2024 / Football Manager 2024 Console
- Blacksmith Master
- Frostpunk
- Spirittea
The impending removal of Stalker 2 has caused the most significant uproar. Many Game Pass subscribers are criticizing the move, especially given that it comes a year after its initial launch and just before its PlayStation 5 release on November 20.
One subscriber, commenting on Reddit, expressed their surprise: “Microsoft backed GSC through all the delays and even the invasion, so it’s surprising they weren’t able to secure a better deal. I think it’s a matter of principle: the game was incomplete at launch and is only now starting to resemble a finished product, yet it’s being removed from the service just as the 1.7 update approaches, and with the PS5 release coming up, the timing looks especially poor.”
The fact that Stalker 2 initially launched on Xbox and PC with several issues, which are only now being resolved in time for its PS5 debut, is a major point of contention for those who feel the game should remain on Game Pass for a longer period.
Another user on Reddit noted, “It’s been a year, which is a pretty standard time for non-Microsoft games. I’m not sure why this is such a shock to people like it’s unprecedented. Lmao.”
However, this was quickly countered by a fellow subscriber: “Because the game just got to a decent state in that year’s time? It’s going to take another year to get everything sorted, not even talking about DLC yet. It’s been in early access not a finished product so now’s a great time to rip it off the service.”
A user on X (formerly Twitter) complained, “I think it’s a really bad precedent that a game stays shorter in Game Pass than we had to wait for it to launch, beyond waiting MONTHS to become properly playable patch after patch.”
Another tweet echoed the sentiment: “It’s bad that Stalker is going. It was good but basically released very buggy. I don’t like that a premium subscription is just used as a beta testing area for devs. I did want to go back to the game. But I guess that ship has sailed.”
On Reddit, a user argued, “Xbox has to stop funding unfinished early access games essentially for Game Pass day one titles. Two games that come to mind Stalker 2 & Payday 3 came out very unfinished and took a year for them to fix and update each game than once their good to play they get removed from Game Pass feels like a scam to the subscribers in my opinion.”
It is worth mentioning that most of the games on this list are available with at least a 20% discount until their departure from Xbox Game Pass in early November.
This situation is compounded by Microsoft’s recent decision to significantly increase the price of Game Pass. The Ultimate tier, for instance, saw a steep 50% hike to $29.99 per month, adding an extra $120 annually for subscribers. To justify this price increase, Microsoft boosted the number of day-one releases to 75 per year and introduced Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics. Enhancements to Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality were also included.
Meanwhile, Stalker 2 on PlayStation 5 will launch with full support for the DualSense controller’s features, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Further technical optimizations for the PS5 Pro are also currently in development.