Summary
- Madden NFL 25 has been added to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library as of February 6.
- The game received mixed reviews, yet it still ranked among the top-selling titles of 2024.
- Two more games, Kingdom Two Crowns and Avowed, are set to debut on Xbox Game Pass in February.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate features Madden NFL 25, marking it as the second new title available in February 2025, continuing the trend of Xbox Game Pass updates.
Released in mid-August 2024, Madden NFL 25 was polarizing, obtaining a mere average rating of 69, with only 36% of reviewers recommending it on OpenCritic. Alongside mixed critical reactions, player feedback mirrored this sentiment, as the game launched to “mixed” ratings on Steam, which remain unchanged after six months.
Despite varied opinions from players and critics, Madden NFL 25 achieved significant commercial success. Analyst Mat Piscatella from Circana reported it as the sixth-best-selling game in the U.S. for 2024, launched within just three and a half months of the fiscal year. This data hints that while critics expressed concerns over monetization and gameplay issues compared to EA Sports College Football 25, such criticisms did not seem to resonate with the wider gaming audience.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Titles
| Game | Date Added | Game Pass Tier(s) | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madden NFL 25 | Feb 6 | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Console, PC | |
| Kingdom Two Crowns | Feb 13 | Ultimate, Standard | Cloud, Console | Returning title from December 2021 |
| Avowed | Feb 18 | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release |
| Atomfall | Mar 27 | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Console, PC | Day-one release |
| Football Manager 25 | Mar ?? | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Console, PC | Day-one release; date TBA |
| Commandos: Origins | Mar ?? | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, Console, PC | Day-one release; date TBA |
| South of Midnight | Apr 8 | Ultimate, PC | PC, Series X/S | Day-one release |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Apr 24 | Ultimate, PC | PC, Series X/S | Day-one release |
| DOOM: The Dark Ages | May 15 | Ultimate, PC | PC, Series X/S | Day-one release |
Is Madden NFL 25 destined for the Xbox Game Pass Standard?
- As with all Electronic Arts titles on Microsoft’s subscription service, Madden NFL 25 is integrated within the EA Play library. Consequently, it is not anticipated to be available on XGP Standard, meaning players must enroll in either a PC Game Pass or XGP Ultimate membership to access it.
