Microsoft Picks Up MechWarrior 5: Clans for Day One Xbox Game Pass Launch

MechWarrior 5: Clans launches day one on Microsoft’s subscription service, Game Pass.

Piranha Games, best known for MechWarrior Online, releases MechWarrior 5: Clans across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on October 16, and we now know it also hits Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass then.

MechWarrior 5: Clans is pitched as the long-awaited return to story-based gameplay for the franchise. It’s actually Piranha Games’ third game in the MechWarrior franchise, and follows 2013 MMO MechWarrior Online and 2019 single-player and co-op sandbox game MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, which sold more than two million units.

In contrast, MechWarrior 5: Clans “brings a story rich, linear-based single-player/co-op narrative-driven action game to fans for the first time in decades – a complete departure from previous MechWarrior entries,” Piranha Games said.

MechWarrior 5: Clans gameplay features:

• The Clan Invasion is Here: For the first time since MechWarrior 2 (released in 1995), pilots can immerse themselves in an action-packed Clan Invasion story – one of the most epic time periods in the franchise that changed the course of the Inner Sphere’s factions and politics forever. MechWarrior 5: Clans is the absolute perfect entry point into the MechWarrior universe for newcomers, and the game that veteran pilots have been waiting more than 30 years to play.
• This Isn’t Run-and-Gun, This is MechWarrior: Celebrated core MechWarrior combat returns in MechWarrior 5: Clans. Pilots must strategically plan and execute Star-based team assaults if they are going to bring honor to Clan Smoke Jaguar while advancing their position within the Inner Sphere.
• Customizable Mechs: Victory starts in your Mech Lab with an expanded collection of technologically advanced Clan weapon systems, equipment and Upgrades. Clan Mech’s superior technology grants you the ability to swap out larger parts for greater customization and functionality ahead of assaults. Plan accordingly based on terrain, structure and biome specificity for the best chance at victory.
• All-Star Strategy: Your squadron (aka your Star) is depending on you. Protect the members of your Star in battle, deepening your bond as you engage the Inner Sphere’s determined defenders. Immerse yourself in the story as you lead your Star through narratively driven missions and thrilling combat.
• Stunning Visual Design: Harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5, MechWarrior 5: Clans abounds in environmental detail and destruction – from precisely designed confined cityscapes to bogs spanning incredible distances, battles will take shape on breathtaking landscapes and the complex infrastructure of the Inner Sphere.

Microsoft is yet to announce Wave 2 of Game Pass’s October 2024 lineup (Wave 1 wrapped up today, October 10 with Inscryption), but we do know Activision’s shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches day-one on October 25. Black Ops 6 is the first Call of Duty game to launch day and date on Game Pass following Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Looking further ahead, StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection hit Game Pass on November 5.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.