Wave 1 Xbox Game Pass in May 2025 Is Saved By One of the Best First-Person Shooters In Years

The Wave 1 lineup for Xbox Game Pass in May 2025 has been revealed, featuring one of the most anticipated first-person shooters in years. The overall selection also includes standout hits such as the 2023 indie phenomenon, Dredge. Here are the most important games coming to Xbox Game Pass this month.

What’s arriving on xbox game pass in May 2025?

Game	Platforms	Date Arriving
Anno 1800	Xbox Series X|S, PC, Cloud	May 1
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	Console, PC, Cloud	May 1
Dredge	Xbox Series X|S, PC, Cloud	May 6
Revenge of the Savage Planet	Console, PC, Cloud	May 8
DOOM: The Dark Ages	Xbox Series X|S, PC, Cloud	May 15
To A T	Xbox Series X|S, PC	May 28
Spray Paint Simulator	Console	May 2025 (TBD)

It should be pointed out that this isn’t the entire May selection for Xbox Game Pass. Unfortunately, Microsoft likes to break this up into “waves,” so players will have to wait until around the 15th to get the full library. Still, these are largely the biggest titles that will be dropping on the service next month.

Wave 1 Game Recommendations

Okay, so the obvious Xbox Game Pass recommendation is DOOM: The Dark Ages. To say this is one of the most anticipated first-person shooters of the last ten years is an understatement. Ever since id Software re-launched the series with DOOM (2016), the franchise has taken the crown for best action-FPS combat. And incredibly, DOOM: The Dark Ages is shaping up to be twice the size of DOOM Eternal. Yeah, the game is seriously looking beefy.

Regardless of the other titles on Xbox Game Pass in May, console owners are winning on DOOM alone. If you’re not sold yet, did I mention that DOOM: The Dark Ages lets you fly a dragon with turrets mounted on its head? Or that the first-person shooter now features a mech suit that lets you square up against giant demons? Yeah, id Software seems to be cranking the ridiculousness up to 11—and I’m here for it. DOOM: The Dark Ages is definitely the title you can’t miss this month.

bringing it home

The second Xbox Game Pass game I want to highlight is Revenge of the Savage Planet. A sequel to 2020’s excellent Journey to the Savage Planet, Revenge looks to be another sci-fi adventure romp worth diving into. If you aren’t familiar with the series, it’s a co-op adventure game where you and a friend explore wacky planets and diverse biomes. The game features plenty of satirical elements, such as hilarious live-action cutscenes, and it looks like a lot of fun. Basically, you and a friend can blast your way through a planet as you scan terrain, collect items, and take on sci-fi creatures. What’s not to love?

Lastly, I want to recommend 2023’s indie title Dredge. I know it might seem quaint on the surface, but the game’s fishing gameplay loop is genuinely addictive. Each time you go out to sea to make money, you unlock more of the map. The twist? It’s secretly a horror RPG that slowly unveils itself. Even if you’re not into fishing games, I can’t recommend this enough. Plus, it’s on Xbox Game Pass—so just give it a try. Who knows? It might hook you within your first hour. Lastly, can I just say how incredible Xbox Game Pass has been lately? In April, we got The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Game of the Year contenders, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Blue Prince. Now, in May, we are getting DOOM: The Dark Ages? Absolutely insane.