I loved “Lies of P,” the 2023 Pinocchio-inspired Soulslike released by Neowiz. I was a fan from the first trailer, with its moody take on the classic tale of puppets and humanity, and I was hooked when the full game was released.
Lots of people were hooked, thanks to the game being made available on Xbox’s Game Pass service. It’s even one of the service’s few Play Anywhere titles, making it easy to bounce between playing on PC and Xbox Series X|S in a pinch. With the DLC, “Lies of P: Overture,” finally announced earlier this year, I had the game installed and queued up for a replay once I finished “Avowed,” which is when I noticed those two little words nobody on Game Pass wants to see.
“Leaving soon.”
As you can see, I had the expected reaction. Why in the hell would you do this? The DLC is coming out imminently, and now the base game is being pulled?
It shouldn’t be a surprise. Content delisting is incredibly common with services like Game Pass and PS Plus. As I’m writing this, Game Pass owners are preparing to see “No More Heroes 3,” “Yakuza 5,” “Solar Ash,” and more leave the service. Meanwhile, Nintendo is making headlines as it prepares to delist its first Nintendo Switch Online title ever, “Super Soccer.”
Here’s the thing: I don’t want to feel this way. I loved “Lies of P” and already had plans to replay it. I’m bummed as hell it’s leaving Game Pass, but I should want to support the title. This is, after all, the point of Game Pass. I get to play games I normally wouldn’t check out, and then I can support devs by buying them.
That is how it’s supposed to work, right? Everyone (myself included) has billed Game Pass as the Netflix of Gaming, but that doesn’t feel entirely accurate. I still find Game Pass to be a hell of a value, but more often than not, a game will leave the service before I get a chance to finish it (looking at you, “Persona 5 Tactica”). So how are we, as gamers who love video games, supposed to react when this happens?
Will Gamers Buy a Game They Love, Even If They Already Beat It?
Looking around social media, I see many gamers already having the same reaction I had to “Lies of P” leaving Game Pass. And while many have also come around to say they’ll just buy the game, just as many seem like they’re just going to call this one done. It seems counterproductive, doesn’t it?
The reality is that services like Game Pass and PS Plus have been a mixed bag financially for developers. There are a ton of wins tied to these releases. Over the years, players have got to get their hands on a number of games they wouldn’t normally play through the service, and some of those titles — like “Grounded,” “Manor Lords,” “Animal Well,” and more — have become certified hits thanks to that exposure.
But it’s not all wins. Devs have been open about the huge gamble of Game Pass. Many studios live and die by upfront sales, and Game Pass’ subscription model claws into those slim margins. Even Xbox briefly acknowledged in 2023 that Game Pass had a negative impact on base game sales, a statement they were quick to walk back.
That’s where delisting comes in. The logic is that you can restore the value by removing it from the service, spurring those superfans who loved the game to throw a few bucks down. The hope is that the early availability will convert a few more players who were on the fence into players willing to spend the money to buy the full version. With “Lies of P” being a certified hit and the highly anticipated “Overture” DLC dropping later this year, that’s almost certainly what the goal is here.
I’m not saying you have to buy this or any other game you play on Game Pass, or PS Plus, or even Nintendo Switch Online. I sure as hell haven’t. And if you wait for a deep discount, I won’t fault you either. It also may not hurt to just wait in general; we’ve seen more than once where a game was “leaving soon,” only for Microsoft to renegotiate rights and keep the title on Game Pass.
For now, “Lies of P” is almost certainly leaving Game Pass within the next week or so. If you’re close to that 100%, now’s the time to get it. Otherwise, you can pick it up on Game Pass for the customary 20% discount. Or, if you’re willing to start over (or work in a code editor to transfer your save), you’ll find it for 40% off on Steam.
I don’t know where, but I’ll almost certainly wind up buying a copy soon, as I still want to replay this one. Sadly, my full “Lies of P” playthrough didn’t get saved, but there are quite a few of my streams up on YouTube if you want to watch me get my ass kicked.
In the meantime, let me know in the comments or on Bluesky if you’re going to buy “Lies of P.” We’re also big fans of the game (and Soulslikes in general!) in the official Homeworld community Discord, so pop in and tell us all about your build.
