While Netflix is looking to shut down password sharing, Xbox Game Pass is letting the whole family join in on the fun. Or at least it likely will, according to info leaked last August. A Friends & Family plan was initially being tested in Ireland and Columbia, allowing multiple Xbox accounts to use the same Xbox Game Pass subscription. There was also a Friends & Family logo spotted in a recent Xbox app update by a dataminer. No details were available such as pricing or other restrictions, but we might not have to wait too long for Xbox to come clean.As spotted by Game Pass Counter and several ResetEra folks, ads have started appearing on the Xbox home screen for the upcoming Friends & Family Game Pass plan. This likely signals an imminent launch, with fans speculating it’ll happen during the rumored Xbox games showcase. Xbox is rumored to host its Developer_Direct on January 25 where it will show off its upcoming games for 2023. Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends are all supposedly headlining the event, although Xbox has yet to offer any official confirmation. Starfield is also said to be giving the event a miss, which has a few fans concerned it might not arrive in 2023 as promised.
All of this is speculation until Xbox actually makes an announcement, although running ads in the lead-up to a games showcase seems like a pretty concrete sign that something is on the way.
Speaking of Forza, several ex-Playground Games devs have left the Xbox Games umbrella to form their own triple-A studio. Maverick Games will be led by former Forza creative director Mike Brown, who retains his title as the new studio sets out to create its first open-world game. We expect it to be another racing game, given Brown's history, but so far there hasn't been any word on what Maverick has cookin'.