Which tiers actually include it
| Tier | Included? |
|---|---|
| Game Pass Ultimate | Yes — day one, console, PC and cloud streaming |
| PC Game Pass | Yes — the store page lists it under "Included with PC Game Pass" |
| Game Pass Premium | No — you can stream it with Premium only if you buy the game yourself |
| Game Pass Essential | No — same rule: streaming your own purchased copy only |
One naming trap when you read older coverage: the tier once called "Standard" was renamed "Premium" in late 2025. Pages telling you the game is or is not "on Game Pass Standard" are describing a tier that no longer exists under that name.
The commitment was official well before launch — Xbox Wire's announcement said it plainly: "It will be available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one, and is an Xbox Play Anywhere and Handheld Optimized title."
What Ultimate gets you beyond the download
- Cloud streaming. The game is playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming on Ultimate — relevant if you want to try it before committing 60 GB of disk, or play on a device that cannot run it natively.
- Play Anywhere. One license covers Xbox Series X|S and Windows, with saves and achievements synced between them. The details — including what happens with the Steam version, which is a different story — live on our cross-save page.
- Handheld Optimized. Microsoft's label, from the same announcement — the game carries its handheld-ready badge for Windows handhelds.
Buy or subscribe — the honest math
- Already on Ultimate or PC Game Pass? There is nothing to decide. Play it from the library. Given the estimated length, the main story fits comfortably inside a month or two of a subscription you already pay for.
- Not subscribed, and only this game interests you? Buying outright is $59.99. A single month of Game Pass costs a fraction of that and doubles as an extended trial — worth considering here specifically, because this is a demanding parry-driven action game and our difficulty page is full of caveats. There is no demo, so Game Pass is the only cheap way to find out if it suits you.
- PS5 only? Game Pass does not exist on PlayStation. Your decision is standard versus Deluxe — see the editions comparison.
The catch: no Deluxe items in the Game Pass version
The Game Pass copy is the base game. The preorder and Digital Deluxe items — Koo's Shiba skins, the Oni's Hat, the sword "Big Dipper", the 100,000 Amber — are not included. Since launch the Deluxe content has been sold separately as the Beast of Reincarnation Deluxe DLC at $9.99 (we verified the Steam listing on 13 August 2026; on Xbox the same content ships in the Deluxe edition). If those items matter to you on Game Pass, that add-on route is the one to check in the Microsoft Store.
How long will it stay on Game Pass?
Nobody has said. No removal date has been published, and third-party day-one titles have no standard exit schedule. What we will not do is invent a countdown — if a leaving date is ever listed, it appears in the Xbox app's "Leaving soon" section, and we will update this page. Treat any site quoting a specific departure month as guessing.
Sources for this page
- Xbox Wire — Developer Direct announcement (day one Ultimate, Play Anywhere, Handheld Optimized)
- Xbox store listing (tier inclusion as displayed, read 13 August 2026)
- Steam — Deluxe DLC listing ($9.99, contents)
Related guides
- Release date & platforms
- Cross-save & Play Anywhere in detail
- Preorder bonuses — what still exists
- PC system requirements
Last updated: 13 August 2026