Genshin Impact publisher HoYoverse has clarified that Xbox players won’t require a Game Pass subscription to access the game’s multiplayer feature.
This comes after the game’s Xbox store listing, set up to mark its arrival on Xbox Series X/S, stated, “Online multiplayer on console requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core (sold separately).” This caused much confusion among fans, who noted the absence of the statement in other free-to-play titles on the platform such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Call of Duty: Warzone.
HoYoverse has since removed the statement from the game’s Xbox store page, clarifying that “Genshin Impact is a free-to-play game. (Players) do not need to purchase Game Pass Ultimate or Core to play the game in Co-Op Mode”, in an official statement shared with Eurogamer.
Players who already own a Game Pass Ultimate subscription won’t be left behind in the dust, as they will receive “in-game bundles upon the game’s launch and after subsequent version updates, as well as play Genshin Impact on Xbox Cloud Gaming.”
Currently, the game is out on mobile platforms, Windows PC via HoYoPlay and the Epic Games Store, as well as the PlayStation 4 and 5. A Nintendo Switch version was also announced in 2020, but there has yet to be any news thus far on a release date.
Genshin Impact will launch on Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass on 20 November.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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