With the launch of the Dead Space remake imminent, Xbox and PC players who’re accustomed to EA games being on the service are wondering if the rebuilt survival horror classic will launch on Game Pass. While third-party “day one” releases aren’t guaranteed, the service has seen them before. A Plague Tale: Reqiuem and (if we’re counting ports) Persona 5 Royal both launched on the service in 2022, and Monster Hunter Rise is making its console debut on Game Pass later this month along with Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden.
Will Dead Space be on Game Pass?
No, Dead Space will not be on Game Pass, at least not at launch. Another publisher of comparable size to EA, Take-Two Interactive, has said in the past that launching their games on a console’s subscription service doesn’t fit their business model. Having your game available at release on something like Game Pass will have a huge impact on the number of copies your game will sell. “Lower game sales” isn’t something most publishers are interested in, even with the benefits (higher total player count and exposure, payment for inclusion on the service) Game Pass provides. Dead Space could eventually come to Game Pass, likely many months after its release on January 27. EA Play’s inclusion in Game Pass means this is even more probable.
However, there is one way a company might be enticed to include a game on a subscription service, even with the knowledge that their total copies sold will be affected.
Is Dead Space included for free in any gaming subscription service?
Yes, you can play the Dead Space remake without purchasing it through membership to EA’s PC-only subscription service, EA Play Pro. Dead Space will be available on EA’s own service on launch day, and it’ll even include the digital deluxe cosmetics for Isaac, as well as an exclusive one only found on the service. It turns out, like Xbox itself, EA is willing to lose out on sales to bolster subscriber numbers. Understandably, in that tradeoff, they want those subscribers to themselves. EA Play Pro is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
There you have it; despite Dead Space not coming to Game Pass, there is indeed a way to play the game this month for $14.99. If you’ve got any other questions, be sure to check out our comprehensive Dead Space launch guide!
