Game Pass just stealth-dropped one of 2023's best games

As Microsoft gears up for a massive year of Xbox Game Pass action, bolstered by its two new limbs in Bethesda and Activision, it looks to be a defining time in the console wars.

Game Pass has been slowly picking up some tasty treats as of late, seeing AAA titles like Diablo IV land on the subscription, and Call of Duty will take over the space in November.

But silently, in the depth of the night, Xbox just dropped one of 2023's best games onto the Game Pass, as the Octopath Traveler series is now playable.

Octopath Traveler comes to Xbox Game Pass

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This might not be the blockbuster franchise that will make Xbox Game Pass monopolise the console tug-of-war, but Octopath Traveler II was one of our personal favourites of the year, giving our team the phenomenon of it being "So good I wish I'd never played it."

It was a bit like watching Game of Thrones (pre-Season 6) for the first time, it's one of those titles that you need to cherish every second of it. Previously, Square Enix's two titles had been exclusive to PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch, steering clear of Xbox for over a year.

Those unfamiliar with the series will be in for a treat if you are an Xbox Game Pass stan, with this cute and quaint Japanese role-playing title ensuring you'll fall in love with all eight of your main characters traversing different paths of the world.

While the first title did have some teething problems, its February 2023 sequel scored an impressive 86/100 on PlayStation and can serve as a great way to pass the time in a window where there's been a bit of a dip in game releases.

Both titles in the Octopath Traveler series will now be free-to-play with the Xbox subscription as Microsoft continues to bolster its service ahead of a monumental Q3.