2021 is nearly at an end, and out of all the major gaming publishers, it’s been an especially good year for Xbox. Microsoft is establishing its footing in the next-generation space with the successful Xbox Series S and X consoles, plus the company has continued to expand into the PC and mobile gaming markets. Not only that, but the Xbox Game Pass subscription service had easily its best year yet, with Xbox delivering some of the highest-rated games to release in all of 2021 to the service.
There are numerous reasons why 2021 was Xbox’s year, from the success of Xbox Game Pass to the surprise launch of Halo Infinite Multiplayer. There is some serious momentum behind Xbox, as its studio acquisitions are starting to pay off in serious ways. 2022 is shaping up to be just as big for Xbox and it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out, but in the meantime, it’s worth exploring how 2021 has been a standout year for the green brand.
Here is why 2021 has been Xbox’s year.
Xbox Game Pass Has Been Huge in 2021
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service is quite possibly the best value gaming has ever seen. For a relatively low price, Xbox Game Pass subscribers get access to well over 100 games, with new titles added on a regular basis. 2021 was the biggest year for Xbox Game Pass to date, with Microsoft releasing major new games on the service, including a variety of first-party Xbox games as well as surprise third-party releases.
The day one Xbox Game Pass releases in 2021 were many, and included some big budget, triple-A gaming releases like Outriders earlier in the year and Back 4 Blood in October. Xbox itself bolstered the Xbox Game Pass lineup with a string of new games, with some notable titles including the critically-acclaimed Psychonauts 2, the popular PC-only Age of Empires 4, and the wildly successful open world racing game Forza Horizon 5, which stands out as the highest-rated game of the year so far.
With there still being a couple weeks left in November and the entire month of December to look forward to, Xbox Game Pass is not done with 2021 just yet. More new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass before November is over, plus there are some big games already confirmed for Game Pass in December. For December 2021, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can look forward to the addition of games like the Halo Infinite Campaign on December 8, Among Us on December 14, and day one release The Gunk on December 16.
Xbox Had the Highest-Rated Games
When it comes to new video game releases for 2021, Xbox clearly had the highest-rated games. In fact, the highest-rated new video game release of 2021 was Forza Horizon 5, with Playground Games’ latest earning widespread praise from fans and critics alike. Hot on its heels is Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2, which is technically multiplatform, but is still an Xbox-published game thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of Double Fine.
And that’s just the Xbox-published games. Most of the highly-rated multiplatform game releases of 2021 were readily available on Xbox One and the next-generation Xbox Series X and S consoles, ensuring that gamers had plenty of high-quality games to play in the Xbox ecosystem.
Halo Infinite Surprise Multiplayer Launch
2021 marks 20 years of Xbox, as well as 20 years of Halo. Microsoft made sure to celebrate the Xbox’s 20th anniversary with a big surprise, launching Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer a full month early, letting anyone with a PC, Xbox One, or next-generation Xbox console jump in and battle it out ahead of the game’s official launch in December. The Halo Infinite Multiplayer beta has had some growing pains, particularly when it comes to the Battle Pass and progression, but it has otherwise been very well-received by fans.
Xbox Bethesda Acquisition
While Xbox announced its intention to acquire Bethesda in 2021, the acquisition wasn’t finalized until 2021. Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda is huge because it resulted in an instant influx of Bethesda games for Xbox Game Pass, plus it secured plenty of future exclusives for Xbox consoles. Notably, this includes Starfield in 2022, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6, whenever that game releases.
Xbox’s Future is Looking Bright
2021 has been a big year for the Xbox brand, but the future is looking just as bright. For example, Deathloop was one of 2021’s highest-rated games, and while it’s a PlayStation console exclusive, it’s virtually guaranteed to be hitting Xbox Game Pass as a day one release next year thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda. We already know Deathloop is a high quality game, and so Xbox fans have something to look forward to next year, even though PlayStation gamers were able to get their hands on it first.
2022 will undoubtedly see the debut of many more Xbox Game Pass games, and it’s been teased that there could be more huge Xbox studio acquisitions taking place next year as well. So while 2021 was a massive year for the Xbox brand, it’s looking like 2022 will be pretty great for Xbox gamers as well.
