Microsoft's strategy with the Xbox Series X is built entirely around its Xbox Game Pass service. By offering its first-party titles as day one Xbox Game Pass games, Microsoft has ensured that Xbox Game Pass practically pays for itself and is a must-have subscription for anyone with an Xbox console. 2021 has been an especially impressive year for Xbox Game Pass already, and it's not even over yet.

Microsoft has a triple threat of AAA Xbox Game Pass games coming up, with October bringing the third-party co-op shooter Back 4 Blood to Xbox Game Pass as a day one release, and November seeing the launch of the highly-anticipated Forza Horizon 5 on Microsoft's subscription service. And then in December, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can look forward to the addition of Halo Infinite to Xbox Game Pass, capping off a great year for Xbox Game Pass with Microsoft's flagship franchise.

RELATED: Marvel's Avengers is Coming to Xbox Game Pass This Week

New Xbox Game Pass games are typically announced bi-monthly, with Microsoft having a fresh batch of titles available for the first half of the month and another batch in the second half of the month. But sometimes it announces upcoming Xbox Game Pass games way in advance. After all, anytime a new Xbox-published game is announced, it's also being announced for Game Pass, as all Xbox-published games are confirmed to be coming to the service day one.

Because of its first-party games as well as deals that have been inked with third-party publishers, Microsoft has already set up Xbox Game Pass for a stellar 2022. Here are the biggest games that have been confirmed for an Xbox Game Pass debut next year. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of new Xbox Game Pass games coming in 2022.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Innocence has earned a dedicated fanbase enthralled by its bleak setting and intense stealth gameplay, so many are naturally excited for the followup. Better yet, A Plague Tale: Requiem is going to be available as a day one Xbox Game Pass game when it launches in 2022, so fans can see what happens next without breaking the bank.

Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart has been turning heads since its initial reveal trailer, drawing comparisons to games like BioShock and Fallout. Atomic Heart does not have a solid release date at the time of this writing, but the promising first-person shooter/RPG hybrid is expected to drop at some point in 2022. And when it does, it will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on the same day that it's available for everyone else.

Halo Infinite New Content

It's fair to say that most Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be focused on full-fledged brand new games that are added to the service, but that's not the whole story when it comes to what the service has to offer in 2022. Even though Halo Infinite's release date is December 8 and it will be out before the new year arrives, the game will have plenty of new content added to it throughout 2022, including some fan favorite features that were unable to make the cut for launch.

343 Industries has confirmed that it plans on adding co-op to the Halo Infinite campaign as well as the Forge Mode editor to multiplayer at some point in 2022. This content will arrive as part of Halo Infinite's regular new seasonal content drops, which should go a long way in keeping fans engaged with the live-service game for the long-term. While Halo Infinite's Tech Preview tests have been impressive, it usually takes at least a little bit of time for these live service games to find their footing, so expect Halo Infinite to really get going in 2022. And with Xbox Game Pass, subscribers can experience it all without actually having to pay full price for the game itself.

Party Animals

Party Animals is, as its name implies, a quirky party game that will drop on Xbox Game Pass next year. Based on what's been shown of Party Animals so far, the game looks like it's similar to Gang Beasts, itself having enjoyed some success on the Xbox Game Pass platform. Hopefully its status as a day one Xbox Game Pass game ensures that many people give Party Animals a try, even if it's not something that they would usually play.

Redfall

The Xbox acquisition of Bethesda has not really shown its value to Xbox fans just yet. Microsoft is honoring Bethesda's PS5 exclusivity deals, meaning critically-acclaimed games like Deathloop isn't even out on Xbox yet, though the next title from Deathloop developer Arkane will be a day one Game Pass game. Redfall is a co-op shooter about vampires, and while it's only known about conceptually at this point, fans should be seeing a lot more of the game sooner rather than later. After all, Redfall's release window is a summer 2022 release, so one can expect a lot more info on it to drop in the months ahead.

RELATED: Doom Developer is Working on Redfall With Bethesda

STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl

At Microsoft's E3 2021 press conference, one of the games that received the biggest spotlight was STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. A rare next-gen exclusive Xbox game, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is one of the most visually-impressive games in Xbox's upcoming slate of titles, with gameplay videos showing off an impressive combination of first-person shooter action and survival gameplay. STALKER 2 is also notable for being one of the only 2022 Xbox Game Pass games with an actual release date.

Starfield

Xbox's acquisition of Bethesda was done primarily to secure exclusive games for Xbox and Game Pass, and one of the first truly major games that will come as a result of the acquisition is open world space RPG Starfield. Bethesda's first new IP in decades, Starfield has a release date of November 11, 2022, putting it alongside STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl as one of the few Xbox Game Pass games coming next year with actual release dates.

Bethesda showed a cinematic trailer for Starfield at E3 2021 that introduced its basic concept, but there's still a lot left to learn about the game. With Starfield already being positioned as Xbox's big holiday 2022 game, fans can expect the marketing on it to ramp up in the months ahead, with it likely appearing at big events like Xbox's E3 event next year. It's the first single-player Bethesda-developed game since 2015's Fallout 4, so expectations are high, and it will be interesting to see if Starfield is able to live up to the legacy of Bethesda's other beloved titles. If so, then fans may have a new major RPG series on their hands to match up to Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.

Other Xbox Game Pass Games for 2022

• Replaced
• Shredders
• Slime Rancher 2
• Somerville

As previously mentioned, the games listed here are not an exhaustive list of all the Xbox Game Pass titles coming in 2022, though there are a handful of others that Microsoft has confirmed for the service next year. On top of these games, though, there's another likely Xbox Game Pass addition for next year that, while not officially announced, should prove to be a solid addition to the service when it eventually does come.

The critically-acclaimed Deathloop is a timed PS5 console exclusive for a year, meaning it can come to other platforms next September. Considering Deathloop's popularity, one has to imagine that the game will be hitting Xbox consoles and Game Pass as soon as possible, though official plans have not been announced at the time of this writing.

And all of this isn't even taking into account the many Xbox Game Pass games for 2022 that haven't even been announced yet, not to mention the older titles that will be coming to the service as well. But even if none of those other titles were coming to Game Pass, Microsoft would still have a solid 2022 in store for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

MORE: Everything Known About Halo Infinite's Day-One Xbox Game Pass Release