Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Leaving Game Pass in October, Along With Seven More Games

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of 2025's most celebrated games, is scheduled to leave Game Pass on October 15. Its departure ends an unusually significant run for the turn-based RPG, which arrived in the subscription service as a day-one third-party release and went on to become a major awards contender and Game of the Year winner.

Subscribers who have not started the adventure, or who have paused midway through it, now have just under two weeks to make the most of their included access. That is a much tighter window than it may sound. The central story can be completed in under 30 hours by players focused on reaching the ending, but those looking to explore broadly and tackle the game's expanded optional material should expect a substantially longer commitment. A completion-oriented playthrough can take more than twice as long.

Expedition 33 is not alone in its October departure. The latest group of games headed out of Game Pass also includes The Casting of Frank Stone, Crime Scene Cleaner, Donut County, Evil West, Superball Nova Roma (Game Preview), Pacific Drive, and A Plague Tale: Requiem. It is a varied lineup, spanning horror, survival, action, puzzles, mysteries, and an in-development sports experience.

Why Expedition 33 is the big Game Pass farewell

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became a rare example of a JRPG-inspired game breaking through to a broad modern audience. Its setting, presentation, and emotional storytelling helped attract attention, but its combat provided one of the clearest reasons it stood apart. The game combines turn-based role-playing fundamentals with active defensive actions, asking players to dodge and parry incoming attacks rather than simply wait through enemy turns.

For useful background on this topic, read Fable's New Combat Aims for Accessibility While Hiding Smart Tactical Depth.

That approach adds pressure and rhythm to encounters that might otherwise follow a familiar menu-driven structure. Success is not exclusively about choosing the right skills, optimizing party builds, or exploiting weaknesses. Timing matters too. Players need to stay engaged with enemy attacks, making the game's battles feel more immediate while retaining the strategic planning expected from the genre.

For anyone deciding whether to prioritize it before October 15, the main question is how they prefer to play RPGs. A concentrated run through the core story is possible for those willing to limit detours, but it means moving at a brisk pace. Players who enjoy exhausting side content, experimenting with builds, and thoroughly exploring every available area may find it difficult to see everything before the deadline. The story is also best experienced with its late-game developments unspoiled, making a first playthrough before social discussion reveals too much especially appealing.

Even so, there is no need to turn a first run into a checklist. A more sensible approach for subscribers with limited time may be to commit to the main path and engage with optional activities only when they feel rewarding. The game's stature comes from the whole journey, not from whether every challenge is cleared before it rotates out of the catalog.

Pacific Drive and A Plague Tale: Requiem fit the October mood

While Expedition 33 is the most prominent exit, October's departing collection has two other particularly appropriate choices for players seeking something eerie and atmospheric.

Pacific Drive takes a science-fiction survival and crafting framework into a strange exclusion zone where the environment itself is hostile and unpredictable. At the center of the experience is a station wagon that becomes far more than transportation. Maintaining, upgrading, and relying on that vehicle is crucial as players venture into areas filled with anomalies and attempt to return safely. The game's tension comes not only from threats in the world, but also from the constant concern that a run may push both driver and car beyond their limits.

Its haunted-road-trip energy makes it an excellent choice for players who want a spooky seasonal game without simply moving from one scripted scare to the next. Pacific Drive emphasizes preparation, improvisation, and the uneasy feeling of being far from safety. It is a game that can make a routine drive feel dangerous when the landscape refuses to obey normal rules.

A Plague Tale: Requiem offers a very different kind of dread. Set in late medieval Europe, it follows a world ravaged by disease and swarms of rats. Stealth, survival, and emotional stakes are central to the experience, with the environment frequently becoming as threatening as the people pursuing the characters. For players who missed the game when it first joined Game Pass, the October removal is a useful prompt to return to its grim and dramatic historical setting.

These are not identical recommendations. Pacific Drive is built around repeated excursions, resource management, and a customizable vehicle, while A Plague Tale: Requiem is a more directed narrative adventure. But both provide a strong fit for the Halloween season, especially for subscribers who want unsettling worlds rather than straightforward supernatural horror.

Shorter games can be the easiest wins before the deadline

Not every departing game requires dozens of hours. Donut County is the clearest option for anyone hoping to finish something memorable over a single evening or a relaxed weekend. The lighthearted puzzle game centers on an ever-growing hole that swallows objects across colorful environments. Its simple premise becomes increasingly inventive as players consume larger items and create unexpected interactions in each scene.

Donut County is notably different in tone from the heavier games on this list. Its playful style, concise structure, and absurd humor make it a smart palate cleanser between more demanding experiences. For Game Pass subscribers who have a long backlog and little free time, it may be the most practical title to play before October 15.

Crime Scene Cleaner also presents a premise unlike the usual action-heavy Game Pass selection. As its name suggests, it puts players in the position of cleaning up after violent incidents. That may sound grim, but the appeal is rooted in methodical, task-focused gameplay: restoring spaces, dealing with evidence, and bringing order to spectacularly messy scenes. It should appeal to players who enjoy simulation-style games and the satisfaction of systematically completing a job.

Then there is Evil West, an action game for those who would rather spend their remaining subscription time fighting monsters than carefully cleaning up after them. Its supernatural Western premise gives it a distinct identity, pairing frontier imagery with fast, forceful combat. It is an easy recommendation for players after a more direct and combat-driven break from slower RPGs or stealth adventures.

The complete group leaving Game Pass

The October departures include the following games:

• The Casting of Frank Stone
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Crime Scene Cleaner
• Donut County
• Evil West
• Superball Nova Roma (Game Preview)
• Pacific Drive
• A Plague Tale: Requiem

The Casting of Frank Stone gives horror fans another option in a month already well suited to the genre. Meanwhile, Superball Nova Roma is leaving while still labeled Game Preview, meaning subscribers interested in trying an evolving work-in-progress will want to do so before the library change.

What to play first before October 15

There is no universal order, but a practical plan depends on the amount of time available. Players who want to experience the most acclaimed title in the group should make Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 the immediate priority. Those with only a few hours should start with Donut County, which offers a much more manageable route to a complete experience. Pacific Drive and A Plague Tale: Requiem are ideal for players looking to lean into October atmosphere, with the former favoring emergent survival systems and the latter delivering a more guided story.

It is worth remembering that a Game Pass departure does not make a game disappear permanently from the wider market; it means it will no longer be available through the subscription catalog after its removal. Still, for active subscribers, October 15 is the important cutoff for playing these titles through Game Pass access.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the departure likely to sting most, both because of its reputation and because RPGs demand time. Yet this batch is deeper than one headline game. Whether the goal is an award-winning role-playing epic, a creepy drive through a hostile anomaly zone, a plague-ridden historical adventure, or a quick and charming puzzle game about swallowing a town, the next days offer a strong final chance to explore several very different experiences.