Grand Theft Auto V returns, MLB The Show 21, NHL 21, and more join Xbox Game Pass in April
A slow month in comparison, but it still features some killer titles.
What you need to know
- Xbox Game Pass is a popular Netflix-like subscription service for video games on Xbox, PC, and mobile devices.
- Microsoft has just revealed the list of games coming and going from Xbox Game Pass in April, 2021.
- The highlight of the collection is definitely the return of Grand Theft Auto V to Xbox Game Pass.
- Other additions include MLB The Show 21 and NHL 21, making this a great month for sports fans on Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass waited a few days into April to show us what's next. Today, Xbox Game Pass revealed the games heading to the service this month, and while it may not be as stacked as the last few months have been, there's still plenty to get excited about. Most notably, Grand Theft Auto V is making a return to Xbox Game Pass in April, and sports fans are getting two great additions with MLB The Show 21 and NHL 21 making their way to Xbox Game Pass.
On a side note, Xbox is making a note that there are now more than 50 fantastic games available through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud) with full touch control support. What started with the excellent Minecraft Dungeons has expanded to a wide range of available titles.
The last few months have been exceedingly busy for Xbox Game Pass, but even when it's slowing down, Xbox Game Pass is still miles ahead of the competition. Outriders and MLB The Show 21 launching into Xbox Game Pass shows the service is killing it. Add new games day and date as they launch isn't all Xbox Game Pass excels at either, since the service just announced it's bringing 16 backward compatible games to Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox Game Pass.
The games on this list are heading everywhere Xbox Game Pass is available, including to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you're not excited by anything coming this month, be sure to check out our list of best games on Xbox Game Pass for some great ideas. It might also be a good idea to pick up one of the best external SSDs for Xbox Series X|S to store the vast number of games Xbox Game Pass is bringing. Finally, be sure to bookmark our comprehensive guide on everything coming and going from Xbox Game Pass so you never miss a thing.
Coming soon
You can check out all the titles coming soon to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud gaming below:
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — April 8
Zombie Army 4: Dead War (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, & PC) — April 8
Disneyland Adventures (Xbox Cloud Gaming) — April 8
Rush: A Disney / Pixar Adventure (Xbox Cloud Gaming) — April 8
NHL 21 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play) — April 12
Rain on Your Parade (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — April 15
Pathway (PC) — April 15
MLB The Show 21 (Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — April 20
Leaving soon
You can check out all the titles leaving soon from Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming below:
April 15
- Deliver Us the Moon (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & PC)
- Gato Roboto (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & PC)
- Wargroove (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & PC)
April 16
- Madden 15 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- Madden 16 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- Madden 17 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- Madden 18 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- Madden 25 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- NHL 18 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
- NHL 19 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & EA Play)
All your gaming needs, in one subscription.
Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.