Why You Can Trust CNET Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Play SpongeBob, NBA 2K24 and More Now
A Game Pass Ultimate subscription gives you access to all these titles and more.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors' Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One and PC for $17 a month. With a subscription, you get new games every month -- like the Resident Evil 3 remake -- and other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.
In February, Microsoft added a game based on the lovable cartoon dog Bluey and the dark humor zombie title Dead Island 2 to Game Pass Ultimate. Here are the titles added to the service in March.
PAW Patrol World
Available now.
Get ready to use your paws to save the day in this action-adventure game based on the ubiquitous children's cartoon. You can play as your favorite pup, drive vehicles from the show and take on rescue missions to help animals in need. You can play on your own in single-player mode or compete with your family in co-op mode for a fun spin on playtime.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom -- Rehydrated
Available now.
If the Krusty Krab pizza is the pizza for you and me, then it stands to reason that this game is the game for you and me too. Play as SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy as you try to stop Plankton from taking over Bikini Bottom. And if you bought the SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Xbox Series X, what better game to play first on your new console?
NBA 2K24 (Console and Cloud)
Available now.
We're more than a month away from the start of the NBA playoffs, but you can play NBA 2K24 on Game Pass Ultimate now to hold yourself over until then. The latest installment in the sports game franchise features new ProPlay technology that brings more realistic animations and movements to every player. You won't be able to play this with Game Pass Ultimate on a PC, but Microsoft could add it to the platform in the future like it did with Madden NFL 24.
Control: Ultimate Edition
Available now.
If you haven't experienced this award-winning title from the creators of the Alan Wake series, now's your chance. This supernatural action game takes place in an expansive government office building that has been corrupted by an unknown entity. You have to find out what happened in this unpredictable world all while avoiding the absurd obstacles in your way -- sometimes that means flying over them.
No More Heroes 3
Available now.
World-renowned assassin Travis Touchdown is back in the saddle in this hack-and-slash adventure game. Take control of Travis and his trusty beam katana -- don't say lightsaber -- as he defends his hometown from an alien invasion. And the only way to do that is to climb the ranks of the deadliest fighters in the galaxy. It's like an anime made into a video game.
Lightyear Frontier
Available now.
If you've ever thought, "Yeah, farm life games like Stardew Valley are fun, but they need more Gundams," this one is for you. In this game, you're a farmer building an interstellar homestead full of alien crops and fauna, all with the help of your trusty mech suit.
"Use combat-focused tools in a violence-free way, such as a chainsaw and machine gun loaded with seeds, as instead of fighting the wildlife, you'll use your arsenal to gather resources, shoot seeds into the ground, water crops, and clean up the environment, making it habitable for you and your friends," Anita Stenholm, marketing and events manager of Frame Break, told Xbox.com.
MLB The Show 24
Available now.
Microsoft added Madden NFL 24 to Game Pass Ultimate in February, and it added MLB The Show 24 to the service on its release. You can play as your favorite baseball team, get them to the World Series and make them a dynasty. This installment in the baseball series also includes new pitcher animations to keep runners on their toes, enhanced pitching mechanics and more.
Titles leaving Game Pass
While you can play the above titles on Game Pass Ultimate, two games recently left the service. So you'll have to buy these games separately if you still have any side quests you want to wrap up.
Microsoft previously said Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered would also leave Game Pass Ultimate, but it has since said the title will stay on the service.
For more on Xbox, here's what Diablo 4 coming to Game Pass likely means for the service, other titles available on Game Pass Ultimate now and everything to know about the gaming service.
