Xbox Game Pass Saves Hollow Knight and Cataclismo from Removal

One downside of Xbox Game Pass is when games are removed each month due to rolling updates to the catalog of various free games. Typically, players receive ample notice before their favorite games are taken off Xbox Game Pass, and often new and better games are added to replace them. However, it isn’t very often that the decision to remove games is reversed.

But this month (via TrueAchievements), Xbox Game Pass has quietly de-listed both Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition and Cataclismo from their list of games to remove from the service. The games were originally listed on the Leaving Soon section of the Game Pass app and were scheduled to be taken off on December 15, but have since disappeared from the list.

Xbox Game Pass Has Saved 2 Games

Xbox Game Pass has quietly saved two great games from being removed from the service on December 15. Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition is an obvious keeper, and the indie mega-hit is one that nearly every Game Pass subscriber ought to try if they haven’t already.

The Voidheart Edition of Hollow Knight includes the original game plus all the additional content packs that were later released, and it’s a massive deal available for free with a Game Pass Premium subscription. It’s the first game in the indie Metroidvania-style soulslike series from Team Cherry, who released the GOTY-nominated Hollow Knight: Silksong earlier this year.

Cataclismo is a real-time tower defense strategy game with base-building mechanics inspired by Lego bricks, and it has really strong reviews across multiple sources, including Very Positive reviews on Steam, an 82 on Metacritic, and over half its reviews on the Game Pass app are 5-stars.

Hollow Knight Is An All-Time Great

It would have been a strange move to de-list Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition from Xbox Game Pass considering the sequel, Silksong, is still available for Premium subscribers. Having both games available on the service is essential for newcomers to the franchise, as most gamers will want to play the original first.

Further, services like PlayStation Plus offer Voidheart Edition for free if you’re an Extra tier subscriber, and it would definitely not be a good look for Game Pass to remove the game when its main competitor has it available for free. Hollow Knight is one of the greatest and most popular indie franchises in existence, so Xbox Game Pass made the right move by keeping it around.