The holidays were always the time of year where I got to see my rich cousins and enjoy the fruits of their father’s Wall Street labor: their Xbox. We’d spend all of Christmas Day playing Halo or Fuzion Frenzy, giving the youngest cousin an unplugged-in controller to keep him quiet. With Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 6, it seems like Microsoft wants you to enjoy your holidays in a similar fashion.
The company knew players would be amped that the massive title was coming to Game Pass, which is probably why the official Xbox Game Pass Twitter was teasing the announcement yesterday.
The hype makes sense—not only is this a really solid title, it’s also the perfect game to play sleepy-eyed on Christmas morning. It’s low-stakes, it’s colorful, there are Star Wars sounds. And thanks to two-player local co-op, you and a friend or family member can trot about Mos Eisley or scamper across Endor together. If you’re a parent or an older cousin, begrudgingly tasked with making sure the little ones don’t break anything or drink from Gamgam’s special glass, Lego Star Wars could be a lifesaver this holiday season.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is also a massive time suck, so you can effectively use it to steer clear of those Elon Musk dinner table conversations. There are over 300 unlockable characters for you to play as (from a charred Anakin Skywalker to mother fucking Plo Koon), 100 vehicles to zip around in, and 23 planets to explore—so no one would judge you if you downloaded this as a child distraction device and ended up sinking in hours of playtime yourself.
The best bit: You can choose to start playing at the beginning of any trilogy. If you’re like me and doggedly insist that the prequels are good, jump in with The Phantom Menace. If you want to relive the glory days, start with A New Hope—there’s nothing stopping you. Just please don’t play The Rise of Skywalker.
Xbox Game Pass has also released the other titles that will be coming to the service, along with when they’ll arrive. They are:
- Eastward (December 1)
- The Walking Dead: The Final Season (December 1)
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service (December 1)
- Hello Neighbor 2 (December 6)
- Chained Echoes (December 8)
- Metal: Hellsinger (December 8)
- High On Life (December 13)
- Potion Craft (December 13)
- Hot Wheels Unleashed - Game of the Year Edition (December 15)
- Rainbow Billy: The Curse of The Leviathan (December 15)
Xbox Game Pass remains a rock-solid option to try out new games, and with Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga joining the service, it’s only getting better.