Microsoft’s recent confirmation that Quantum Break will be leaving Xbox Game Pass sometime in April may be a silver lining. Every month, games are removed and added from the popular subscription service, with eight games leaving Game Pass in April. These include Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Life is Strange : primary colors, and The Long Dark, which recently received an Xbox Series X/S console performance update and is available to subscribers starting in 2020.
In addition to these notable titles, the Xbox-exclusive Quantum Break will also be removed from Game Pass in April. This was an unexpected and not entirely welcome surprise for many fans of the game, mainly because Quantum Break was published by Microsoft Studios, so it seemed a bit odd to have it removed from the service. Some even thought it might be an April Fool’s joke.
The gaming giant recently clarified why Quantum Break is disappearing from Game Pass, and offered a little hope for those who might have been disappointed by the development. In a recent interview with German website Xbox Dynasty, Microsoft stated that the game was pulled only because of licensing issues.
It’s not all bad news, though, as Microsoft has a silver lining for fans of sci-fi action-adventure games by giving players control over time. In an interview with Xbox Dynasty, it was revealed that the team is working on bringing Quantum Break back to Game Pass “as soon as possible.” Whether it’s the issue of missing or expired licenses, negotiations are already underway, although apparently nothing has been reached yet.
With whom or for what purposes these licenses would be required is unclear, but many may recall that another Remedy Entertainment game, the original Alan Wake, also had licensing issues with its music, which was subsequently released in 2017. Removed from physical and digital storefronts. Quantum Break and Alan Wake share composer Petri Alanko, and both contain licensed music, thus offering a possible explanation.
Quantum Break launched in 2016 for PC and as an Xbox One console exclusive. It received mostly high praise from critics, though players praised it to a lesser extent. But the game certainly has its devoted fanbase, with many seeing it as the thematic precursor to Remedy’s Control, which was released three years later to near-universal acclaim. Currently, the studio is working on sequels to Alan Wake and Control, but actor Sean Ashmore, who played lead Jack Joyce in Quantum Break, has said he would be fine if Remedy considered making a follow-up. Interested in reprising his role.
Quantum Break is currently available on PC and Xbox One.