The library of games available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers changes regularly as Microsoft adds exciting new titles every month. Microsoft also removes games from the Xbox Game Pass catalog but gives users time to purchase them at a discounted rate if they want to keep playing.
The main draw of Xbox Game Pass is probably the inclusion of all first-party Xbox games on day one. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members get access to EA Play at no extra cost. It should be noted that this is the basic version of EA Play which offers older games, instead of the more expensive EA Play Pro, which is only available on PC. Microsoft likely has little control over what games are added or removed from EA Play, and one EA Sports title is now confirmed to be leaving the service next month.
EA announces that FIFA 20 will leave EA Play, thereby the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library, on July 1, 2022. This information comes from TrueAchievements, who reported that EA made an update about FIFA 20 leaving the service on its official website. On the same page, fans can see similar posts about F1 2019 and FIFA 19 leaving EA Play on April 18, 2022, and November 30, 2021, respectively.
FIFA 20 came out almost three years ago, on September 27, 2019. It launched with the highly-anticipated Volta game mode loosely based on the FIFA Street games from previous console generations. Volta was ultimately a disappointment for many fans as Ultimate Team continued to be the primary gameplay mode for most users.
FIFA games follow a yearly release schedule, with no new content released for the older games after 10 to 11 months of their launch. As a result, many FIFA players have probably moved on to more recent games, with last year’s FIFA 22 being the latest release.
EA perhaps didn’t see much reason to keep FIFA 20 on EA Play, with FIFA 21 being a part of the service. This move may also hint at FIFA 22 coming to EA Play in the near future. In May, FIFA 22 was the headlining game of PlayStation Plus, with members also getting Tribes of Midgard and Curse of the Dead Gods at no extra cost. So, it makes sense for EA to offer FIFA 22 to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, and it can also help generate excitement for the upcoming FIFA 23.
Source: EA (via TrueAchievements)