Xbox Game Pass Loses Nine Games in October 2024

Microsoft has confirmed the next wave of departures from Xbox Game Pass, with nine games set to leave the service on October 15, 2024. The list includes a mix of indie darlings, cooperative experiences, and narrative-driven adventures that have found a home on the subscription platform over the past year. For subscribers, the mid-month removal date serves as a hard deadline to either finish these titles or claim the standard 20 percent membership discount to keep them permanently.

The most notable exit is Cocoon, Geometric Interactive's award-winning puzzle adventure that launched day-one on Game Pass in September 2023. Its departure after just over a year highlights the rotating nature of the service's third-party lineup. Also leaving are the cooperative puzzle games We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip and We Were Here Forever, which have served as reliable picks for players looking for communication-heavy co-op experiences. The full list spans multiple genres, meaning nearly every type of subscriber loses something this month.

Full Game List — October 2024 Departures

• Cocoon — Geometric Interactive's atmospheric puzzle adventure where players carry worlds within worlds to solve intricate environmental challenges.
• We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip — A standalone co-op puzzle escape room experience requiring constant voice communication between two players.
• We Were Here Forever — The full-length entry in the co-op series, expanding the formula with a larger world and more complex puzzles.
• Swordship — A high-speed dodge-'em-up where players navigate a futuristic transport ship through hostile waters without traditional weapons.
• Signalis — A survival horror homage to PS1-era classics, blending resource management with a haunting cosmic mystery.
• The Last Case of Benedict Fox — A Metroidvania with a distinctive art style and demon-infested limbo to explore.
• Scorn — Ebb Software's biomechanical horror adventure inspired by H.R. Giger's artwork, focusing on atmospheric exploration over combat.
• Persona 5 Tactica — A tactical RPG spin-off of Atlus's flagship series, featuring grid-based combat and the Phantom Thieves cast.
• Prodeus — A boomer shooter that blends retro pixel art aesthetics with modern rendering techniques and level design.

Here's a thinking process:

If time is limited before the October 15 cutoff, Cocoon deserves priority. Its unique mechanic — carrying orbs that contain entire worlds — creates puzzle solutions that feel consistently surprising across a tight five-to-six-hour runtime. The game respects the player's intelligence without dialogue or tutorials, making it one of the most elegant puzzle experiences in recent years. For anyone who missed it during its launch window, this is the final chance to play it without a separate purchase.

Signalis offers a completely different but equally compelling reason to dive in before removal. Its deliberate pacing, limited inventory, and cryptic storytelling reward patience and note-taking in a way few modern horror games attempt. The PS1-inspired visuals aren't just aesthetic — they obscure information intentionally, feeding the tension. Players who enjoy the genre's roots in Resident Evil and Silent Hill will find a faithful, unsettling homage here.

For co-op pairs, We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip stands out as the most accessible entry point. Designed as a shorter standalone chapter, it distills the series' walkie-talkie puzzle formula into a focused two-to-three-hour experience. It requires genuine communication — one player sees symbols the other needs, and vice versa — making it a rare game that actually tests a friendship rather than just parallel play.

Here's a thinking process:

All nine titles remain playable for active Game Pass subscribers until October 15, 2024. After that date, they will no longer launch through the service unless purchased separately. Microsoft offers a standard 20 percent discount for Game Pass members who wish to buy any departing title before it leaves, applied automatically at checkout on the Xbox Store. This discount stacks with any existing sale pricing, though the departure lineup rarely coincides with major promotional events.

The removals affect all Game Pass tiers — Console, PC, and Ultimate — simultaneously. There are no regional differences in the departure schedule. Subscribers should note that save data remains tied to their account regardless of ownership method; purchasing a game after it leaves Game Pass will preserve progress. The next departure announcement typically arrives in late October for November's wave, following Microsoft's established monthly cadence.

Here's a thinking process:

Pulling nine titles out of Xbox Game Pass in October is a pretty heavy hit, especially when you look at how well the missing games were received. Cocoon, Signalis, and Persona 5 Tactica all earned glowing reviews right at launch, so the library suddenly has gaps in puzzle‑solving, horror