Microsoft Announces Xbox Game Pass April 2024 Wave 2 Lineup

Orcs Must Die! 3, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Manor Lords, and more.

Updated:

Apr 16, 2024 1:44 pm

Posted:

Apr 16, 2024 1:33 pm

Microsoft has announced the second wave of games coming to Game Pass in April 2024. Highlights include Orcs Must Die! 3, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and the hotly anticipated Manor Lords.

Out today, April 16, is Slow Bros’ narrative game Harold Halibut (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) as a day-one Game Pass launch. IGN’s Harold Halibut review returned an 8/10. We called it “a wholesome, handcrafted adventure with plenty of heart.”

Harold Halibut Review ScreenshotsTomorrow, April 17, Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass. Orcs Must Die! 3 got a 7/10 in IGN’s review. We said it was “very familiar to players of the second game but still a fun and goofy action/tower-defense challenge.”

A day later, on April 18, EA Sports NHL 24 (Console) launches on Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play, just in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “NHL 24’s new gameplay features reinvigorate the on-ice action, but its collection of unimproved game modes has grown increasingly boring with each passing year,” we said in IGN’s NHL 24 review.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass as a day-one launch on April 23. Rabbit & Bear’s grand JRPG is set in a hand-crafted 2.5D world, and lets you assemble a six-party team from a cast of over a hundred heroes.

Another Game Pass day-one launch is Another Crab’s Treasure (Cloud, Console, and PC), out on April 25. Aggro Crab Games’ soulslike adventure is set in a crumbling underwater world. You play Kril the hermit crab.

April 26 sees the launch of Slavic Magic’s Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC) as a day-one Game Pass release. Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. It’s the top wishlisted game on Steam, ahead of the likes of Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Manor Lords ScreenshotsAnd finally, rounding out this month is Magic Design Studios’ Have A Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC), which hits Game Pass on April 30. IGN gave Have A Nice Death an 8/10 in our review: “Have a Nice Death is a punishing but satisfying roguelike with some extremely tough boss fights, but it could be a bit less stingy with long-term progression.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced more games coming to Game Pass Core on April 23. Three games are added to the library for subscribers:

Dwarf in Deep Rock GalacticSuperhot: Mind Control DeleteWreckfestHere’s the Xbox Game Pass April 2024 Wave 2 lineup in full:Orcs Must Die! 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 17EA Sports NHL 24 (Console) EA Play – April 18Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 23Another Crab’s Treasure (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 25Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC) – April 26Have A Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 30Six games leave Game Pass on April 30. As always, you can save 20% on your purchase to keep them in your library:

7 Days to Die (Cloud, Console, and PC)Besiege (Cloud, Console, and PC)EA Sports NHL 22 (Console)Loot River (Cloud, Console, and PC)Pikuniku (Cloud, Console, and PC)Ravenlok (Cloud, Console, and PC)Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].