Is The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Xbox Game Pass?

The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most highly anticipated game releases of 2023, but some players are wondering if they will even get to play the game, especially if they are a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass is the most successful and used video game subscription service in the world. It allows players to pay a flat, monthly fee to gain access to hundreds of video games right from the Game Pass application. As such, with any major game release, Game Pass subscribers wonder if their subscription will give them access to the new titles coming on the market.

Here is the answer to if The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be one of those games or if Game Pass users will have to pay full price for it.

Will The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom be on Xbox Game Pass?

While Xbox Game Pass is home to hundreds and hundreds of games, there is one publisher that is notably absent from the lineup of available games. That publisher would be Nintendo, as the company is extremely explicit about its games only being available on Nintendo systems. Moreover, Nintendo has its own competitor to the Game Pass subscription service model, which is called “Nintendo Switch Online.” Players can pay for access to the service, allowing them to access classic and modern Nintendo games on their Switch.

As a result, no Nintendo games are currently on Xbox Game Pass and it’s likely this is the way it will stay in the future. So, The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will not be coming to Game Pass when it launches in mid-May. Players will only be able to play it via the Nintendo Switch console.

The sequel to 2017’s Game of the Year, Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom looks to expand upon everything its predecessor did right. There’s more of a focus on the main story, additional combat options, extra activities to complete in the open world, and much more coming when the title releases on May 12, 2023.