Xbox has announced that subscribers to the standard tier of Game Pass should expect a waiting period of "up to 12 months or more" before gaining access to first-party games.
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Microsoft has revealed that subscribers to the Standard tiers of its Game Pass service could face a wait of up to a year or more to access games from its own studios following their release.
Elaborating on the recent modifications to its Xbox Game Pass service, a post on Xbox Wire indicated that only the $12 per month PC subscription and the $20 per month Ultimate plan will include EA Play membership and access to "day one titles" from Xbox.
Subscribers to the Core tier, priced at $10 per month, and the future Standard tier at $15 per month, will instead enjoy access to a curated selection of 25 high-quality console games and a more extensive collection of console games, respectively.
Both Core and Standard subscribers will have access to online console membership, along with "member deals and discounts" featured in all four tiers.
Previously, it was not specified how long Standard tier users would need to wait to enjoy "day one" first-party games which were earlier part of the Game Pass offering.
According to Megan Spurr, Xbox Game Pass's senior community lead, "Some games coming to Game Pass Ultimate (day one games or other game entries) will not be instantly available with Game Pass Standard and might be added to the library later (possibly up to 12 months or longer, depending on the game)." She assured, "We’ll continue to inform all Game Pass subscribers about game additions and availability for each subscription plan."
The launch date for the new Standard tier of Game Pass is yet to be announced by Microsoft.
Correction: An earlier version of this article wrongly stated that the delay for first-party titles affects both Standard and Core tiers. Microsoft has since clarified that the Core subscription focuses on a curated collection of approximately 25 games, which are updated two to three times a year.
