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Xbox Game Pass new games: what’s new and what’s leaving in April 2023

Sam Hill
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While Microsoft was been hit with criticism for the Xbox Series X’s slow-growing exclusive lineup — several highly anticipated titles like Bethesda’s Starfield and co-op shooter Redfall have been pushed to later in 2023 — the company is still delivering one of the best deals in gaming: Xbox Game Pass.

Game Pass gives gamers access to a massive library of games that includes throwback hits, brand-new titles on release day, and indie darlings. These games can be played on Xbox consoles, PC, mobile, and even Steam Deck.

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New titles are being added to Game Pass every month and others are taken off, similar to how Netflix works, so it’s crucial to stay on top of library changes to make sure you don’t miss out on that title that’s been on your to-play list. Check back toward the end of every month for a complete list of new additions and removals from the Game Pass roster.

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Our top pick for April

Minecraft: Legends
Minecraft: Legends
E10
Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre Strategy, Arcade
Developer Mojang Studios, Blackbird Interactive
Publisher Xbox Game Studios
Release April 18, 2023
Minecraft Legends is going to be a blast, and we’re lucky that it’ll get a day-one release on Game Pass. It’s a very involved real-time strategy experience with fully voice-acted cutscenes, a procedurally generated open world to explore, and lots of base-building and resource gathering that truly adapts Minecraft’s formula into another storied genre.

Everything coming to Game Pass in April

Akito with KK and the neon colors of Tokyo and invading spirits.

April is shaping up to be a fantastic month for Game Pass additions so far. Here’s what’s coming in the first wave:

April 4

  • Loop Hero (console and PC)

April 6

  • Iron Brigade (cloud and console)

April 12

  • Ghostwire Tokyo (cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)

April 13

  • NHL 23 (console – EA Play)

April 18

  • Minecraft Legends (cloud, console, and PC)

April 20

  • Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (cloud, console, and PC)
  • Medieval Dynasty (Xbox One)

April 21

  • Homestead Arcana (cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)

April 26

  • Cassette Beasts (PC)

April 27

  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition (cloud, console, and PC)
  • The Last Case of Benedict Fox (console and PC)

Everything leaving Game Pass in April

Alex reaching out and using her powers in Life is Strange: True Colors promo art.

Unfortunately, a handful of titles are being removed from Game Pass later this month. No super-popular titles are getting the ax, but we hate to see any games leave.

April 15

  • Life is Strange: True Colors
  • Moonglow Bay
  • Panzer Corps II
  • Rainbow Six Extraction 
  • The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk 
  • The Long Dark
  • The Riftbreaker 

April 30

  • Bugsnax 
  • Destroy All Humans! 
  • Dragon Quest Builders 2 
  • Tetris Effect Connected 
  • Unsouled

Everything new on Game Pass in March

A handful of new titles hit Game Pass in March, most notably Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and MLB The Show 23.

  • F1 22 (console and PC – EA Play)
  • Guilty Gear – Strive (cloud, console, and PC)
  • Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (cloud, console, and PC)
  • Dead Space 2 (cloud)
  • Dead Space 3 (cloud)
  • Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (cloud, console, and PC)
  • Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition (console and PC)
  • MLB The Show 23 (cloud, console, and PC)
  • Infinite Guitars (cloud, console, and PC)

Everything that left Game Pass in March

Star-Lord fights an enemy in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

A total of 15 games were removed from Game Pass throughout March.

  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Undertale
  • Young Souls 
  • Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition 
  • Goat Simulator 
  • F1 2020 
  • Zero Escape: The Nonary Games 
  • Paradise Killer 
  • A Memoir Blue
  • Chinatown Detective Agency 
  • ClusterTruck 
  • Double Dragon Neon 
  • Kraken Academy!! 
  • MLB The Show 22
  • Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid 

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Sam Hill
Sam Hill
Gaming Guides Editor

Sam Hill is a journalist and the gaming guides editor at Digital Trends. He's also written tech guides for Input and has freelanced for publications like Outside Magazine, Serious Eats, the Outline, Boston Magazine, and more. Follow @samahill on Twitter for guides and terrible Rocket League clips.

Move over, Wordle: The New York Times has a new puzzle game
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The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle's continued success -- and it's all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. 
In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible.

Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well.  I solved today's puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee.
In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team's process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it's worth moving into a more active development phase "where the game is coded and the designs are finalized." So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn't get the response it is hoping for. 
Digits' beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games' website

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