Per Microsoft's October 20 announcement, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrived on Game Pass on October 29 alongside three other games, and nine titles, among them Deep Rock Galactic and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, leave on October 31.[1] The same post tells subscribers to save on the leaving games before they go, which makes October 30 the last full day to play them or to buy them at that announced saving.[1]
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade leads the October 29 arrivals
The headline arrival joined Cloud, Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 29 for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass. Microsoft describes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade as the award-winning retelling of the original story up to the escape from Midgar, with a hybrid battle system that blends real-time action with command-based combat, plus additional story elements.[1] The catalog that carries it shrinks two days later.
Three games arrived alongside it. Mouthwashing, the psychological horror from developer Wrong Organ and publisher CRITICAL REFLEX, came to Cloud, Series X|S, handhelds and PC for Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass, and carries Microsoft's Handheld optimization label.[1] The announcement sets it on the Tulpar, whose five crew members are stranded in space.[1] Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, the HD return of the original game with new levels, arrived on Cloud, console and PC for Ultimate and PC Game Pass only.[1] Terrible Lizards, a day-one horror parkour game and the debut release from WDR Studios, joined Cloud, Series X|S and PC on the same pair of plans.[1]
The four join a stretch that had already brought Sandustry, a Game Preview factory game on PC, on October 21, Dodo Duckie on October 22, the day-one Game Preview Scramble Knights Online on October 26 and The Séance of Blake Manor on October 27.[1] Every game named so far, from Sandustry on October 21 to the October 29 arrivals, is listed for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium misses three of them. Scramble Knights Online, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted and Terrible Lizards are listed for Ultimate and PC Game Pass only.[1] The next arrival in the announcement is Pit of Goblin, an online horror co-op, on November 3.[1]
Nine titles leave October 31
Nine games leave the catalog on October 31, every one listed on Cloud, console and PC. The list is Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Dead Static Drive, Deep Rock Galactic, Full Throttle Remastered, Grim Fandango Remastered, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Wartales and Wildgate.[1] A third-party tracker was still reporting a nine-game October 31 batch on October 29, two days before the removal date.[3]
Microsoft set a second deadline ten days later. Football Manager 26 leaves the PC catalog on November 10, and its Console Edition leaves Cloud, console and PC the same day.[1] Anyone still mid-game in the departing nine has October 30 to finish.
The purchase window before the removals
The announcement's answer to the removals is a saving that runs ahead of them. "Don't want the fun to end? Save on these games now before they leave Game Pass!" the post says.[1] Xbox also runs a Game Pass deals page, listed as "Xbox Game Pass Deals and Discounts".[4] The subscription behind the catalog is bought through Microsoft's store, and the Game Pass Ultimate listing on microsoft.com is the same product.[2]
One decision per leaving game
Per the October 20 announcement, the four October 29 additions are in the catalog and the nine departures stay listed through October 30.[1] That timing leaves one decision per game. A subscriber can finish a leaving title before October 31, buy it to keep, or do both while it is still listed, and both halves share the announcement's October 31 deadline.[1]