Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Introduces Day-One Soulslike Featuring a Unique Death Mechanic

Hey, so, I just stumbled across some wild news about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. You know that subscription thing everyone raves about? Yeah, they’re adding another day-one title. This one’s called Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. I mean, how many games have they added this month? Sixteen! It’s insane, right? And we’re just talking July 2025 here. I sometimes wonder if they’re trying to drown us in options. Anyway, this makes it the 94th new release on Xbox Game Pass this year. Wow. Just wow.

Let me backtrack a bit. So, there’s this Chinese studio, Lenzee Games, that’s behind Wuchang. It’s a soulslike RPG. Set in 17th-century China. End of Ming dynasty vibe, if you’re into that historical stuff. And our main character, Wuchang? She’s an amnesiac pirate. How’s that for a cliché? Not hating, just saying. She’s dealing with something called Feathering Disease. Sounds terrifying, right? Makes you crazy, apparently. They announced this whole thing back in September 2021, but it officially became a day-one Xbox Game Pass title in June last year. Wild ride, isn’t it?

Okay, sidebar, but can we talk about timing? Wuchang dropped on Game Pass on July 24, but guess what? Folks on the U.S. East Coast got a sneaky head start at 10pm on July 23. How does that even work? Anyway, you can grab it on Xbox Series X/S or PC. Not Xbox One though — bummer for the old console users. But hey, there’s always Xbox Cloud Gaming, right? Technology, man, it’s something.

Alright, pause for a sec — was I rambling? Back on track with new game releases. Speaking of which, Grounded 2 is just around the corner, dropping on the 29th. Few more things on that list, but I think my brain short-circuited halfway through. Anyway, seems like it’s a big year.

Now, I took a peak at reviews for Wuchang. Mixed bag, really. OpenCritic throws it a "Strong" with a score of 75. Not bad, huh? Critics are buzzing about its combat and this Madness system. Imagine not losing everything when you die—just a portion tied to some Madness level. That’s a heck of a twist. But some folks think it’s riding too heavily on familiar tropes. And the difficulty? All over the place, they say. But honestly, isn’t difficulty just what you make of it?

Anyway, for those hoping for it on the Xbox Game Pass Standard — gonna have to wait. Maybe early next year? Just a hunch, based on past trends. Meanwhile, looks like Grounded 2 is what’s next on the horizon. Gotta say, this lineup is a bit all over, but hey, keeps things lively, doesn’t it?

So there it is — my chaotic brain dump on this gaming topic. Wouldn’t have it any other way.