December is shaping up to be another incredible month for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, and is even still running on the steam from November’s incredible lineup of Game Pass games like Forza Horizon 5, It Takes Two, and GTA San Andreas. But now, this is the big one. Halo Infinite will launch on December 8, and will be available day one of release on Xbox Game Pass for PC, consoles, and cloud users.
However, that’s not all for this month, you can also expect Among Us coming to consoles on December 14, alongside Final Fantasy XIII-2, now available for console and PC users, alongside plenty of other games.
Halo Infinite Will Launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass
Halo Infinite’s campaign is launching on December 8 for Xbox, PC, and cloud users. It’s available day one for Xbox Game Pass users, and you’ll be able to jump straight in on the day.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer had a surprise launch on November 15 as a beta, but will experience its full launch on December 8, alongside a slew of new updates for the free-to-play multiplayer. You can read our full single player review here, alongside the multi-player review right here.
What Time Will Halo Infinite Launch?
Halo Infinite will launch at the same time around the world. If you’re playing the game digitally, this is when Halo Infinite will unlock to play in your timezone. In the US, Halo Infinite will be available at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT on December 8 for Xbox Game Pass users on PC, console, and cloud.
- Australia – 5 AM AET (Dec. 9)
- Brazil – 3 PM BRT (Dec. 8)
- China – 2 AM CST (Dec. 9)
- France – 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
- Germany – 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
- Japan – 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
- Mexico – 12 PM CT (Dec. 8)
- South Korea – 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
- United States – 10 AM PT (Dec. 8)
- United Kingdom – 6 PM GMT, Dec. 8)
Can I Pre-Load Halo Infinite?
Xbox Game Pass members can currently pre-install Halo Infinite via the Xbox Game Pass app on their mobile PC. Navigate to Halo Infinite (Campaign) on the app, and click install on your chosen console.
Halo Infinite’s install size on Xbox Series X is 74.3 GB, while on PC it clocks up to 100 GB. The campaign takes up 48.4 GB on your console, 25.9 GB for the multiplayer. You can see these numbers directly on your console after you pre-load the game. From the game’s Steam pages, you can see that it’s (50 GB for Campaign and 50 GB for multiplayer).
What’s Coming to Xbox Game Pass in December 2021
- ANVIL (Game Preview) – December 2 [Console, PC)
- Archvale – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 – December 2 (Console, PC)
- Lawn Mowing Simulator – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Rubber Bandits – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Stardew Valley – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Townscaper – December 2 (Console, PC)
- Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector – December 2 (Console, PC)
- Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator – December 7 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Halo Infinite – December 8 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 – December 9 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite – December 14 (Console, PC)
- Among Us – December 14 (Console)
- The Gunk – December 16 (Console, PC, Cloud)
Best Game Pass Deals in December 2021
Microsoft is currently offering 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for only $1. Both first time and past subscribers are eligible for this deal. Now there’s a trick to convert these 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC into 4 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
This will require you to pay for an additional month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means new subscribers will pay a total of $2 for 4 months of Ultimate while those who have subscribed in the past (and are currently not subscribed right now) will pay a total of $15.99. Follow these steps to get in on this deal.
If you’re new to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:
- Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
- Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 (1 month)
- Total cost for 4 months will be $2
If you’ve had Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:
- Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
- Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $14.99 (1 month)
- Total cost for 4 months will be $15.99
Game Pass Ultimate: Users Now Get Monthly Bonuses for Halo Infinite
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users can now gain access to monthly bonuses in Halo Infinite, just for being signed up for the service.
The first of these, coming with the release on December 8, Game Pass Ultimate users will be able to get their hands on an exclusive ‘Pass Tense’ MA40 Assault Rifle coating.
The first set of Game Pass Ultimate rewards in Halo Infinite. (Image credit: Xbox)
What’s Leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021
Here’s everything leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021, including Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Guacamelee! 2, Beholder, and more.
- Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Console, Cloud) – December 8
- Beholder (Console, Cloud) – December 15
- The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Console, PC) – December 15
- Guacamelee! 2 (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
- Wilmot’s Warehouse (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
- Unto The End (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
Sony is Working on a Game Pass Competitor for PlayStation
Accodoring to sources at Bloomberg, Sony is working on a competing Xbox Game Pass service, named “Spartacus”. Similar to Game Pass, PlayStation owners can pay a monthly fee for access to a library of modern and classic games.
The new service is expected to launch in spring 2022 and will merge Sony’s two existing subscription services PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.