Two games are leaving the Xbox Game Pass games list by the end of the month – though one of them has already disappeared from the app. Headlander, Double Fine's retro-futuristic action-adventure, is set to leave later in December. Tecmo Bowl Throwback was initially listed as "leaving soon" over the weekend, yet by this morning had already completely disappeared. Update: It looks like Tecmo's early departure was a mistake, along with a further 200 games temporarily vanishing from Xbox Game Pass for a large proportion of subscribers. It all seems to be back now, including Tecmo Bowl.
The Headlander achievement list looks to be mostly based around exploration, which is what you would expect from a metroidvania. It'll set players back 8-10 hours, so it's certainly achieveable depending on your festive plans (and depending on exactly when the game will leave, though we suspect the end of the month). It's a relatively good way to introduce yourself to Double Fine's particular left-field sense of humour and game design, which sometimes works and sometimes does not. Double Fine have since been acquired by Microsoft under the Xbox Game Studios banner – meaning that future releases like Psychonauts 2 should stay in Xbox Game Pass for a much longer term.
It's already disappeared, but in case that early exit was in error it's worth having a look at the Tecmo Bowl Throwback achievements. It wouldn't be the first time that some Xbox Game Pass games were removed or scheduled for removal by accident, so this update arcade experience might still be completable by the end of the month. It's another 8-10 hour experience, though it does require a couple of online unlocks. They're not too drastic, and with the servers pretty much dead, two players might be able to speed things up with an achievement boosting session here on site. Tecmo Bowl is indeed a throwback, a remastering of the original release in 1987 with 3-D graphics and a general polish.
There's still some major Xbox Game Pass additions to come before we consign 2019 to the history books – runaway indie success Untitled Goose Game will be arriving tomorrow, and The Witcher 3 is due on Xbox Game Pass on December 19th.
Don't forget, a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is down to just £1 / $1 or your local equivalent from the Xbox Store. Make sure to grab it when you can; we don't have an end date for the promotion but we suspect it could be at the end of the year.
Ultimate 3 Months
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes over 100 high-quality games for console, PC, phones and tablets, all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, and an EA Play membership, all for one low monthly price (subscription continues automatically at regular price). Play together with friends and discover your next favorite game. See more below.
After any promotional period, subscription continues to be charged at the then-current regular price (subject to change, plus applicable taxes), unless cancelled in Microsoft account. You’ll be notified before any price changes.
Joining Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will upgrade your remaining Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass for Console or Xbox Game Pass for PC time into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the same amount of time, up to 36 months. All conversions are final. See xbox.com/gamepass for details.
See Xbox Game Pass Ultimate terms and details in the Product Description below.