In an unexpected move, Descenders Next has been stealthily released and is now accessible to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. This surprise launch represents the 13th new addition to Microsoft's subscription service in July 2025, and the 91st title added to Xbox Game Pass since the beginning of the year.

Created by Dutch developer RageSquid, Descenders Next serves as the follow-up to the 2019 downhill mountain biking hit Descenders. The sequel introduces two new extreme sports—snowboarding and mountainboarding—with the studio hinting at future additions. Initially planned for an April 9 release, Descenders Next faced an indefinite delay that left fans without a concrete launch date.

After three and a half months, the early access version of Descenders Next has quietly arrived on its primary platforms, including PC and the latest Xbox consoles. True to initial promises, the extreme sports title launched as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release. Players can now access the game through the Ultimate tier of Microsoft's service or PC Game Pass, with full Xbox Cloud Gaming support included.

Game Pass subscribers who dive into Descenders Next through their membership effectively save $29.99—the current price of the Game Preview version. The initial release comes without DLC, and there's no indication of future paid content. While the original Descenders received regular updates during its early access period, it never introduced additional paid content beyond its soundtrack. Descenders Next is expected to follow a similar development path.

As a day-one release, Descenders Next isn't available on the more affordable Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. Since its introduction in September 2024, this budget-friendly option typically receives day-one titles six months to a year after their initial launch on Ultimate. Microsoft has stated that day-one games may take up to a year to reach Xbox Game Pass Standard. Based on this timeline, Descenders Next could arrive on Standard between January and July 2026.

RageSquid has indicated that Descenders Next will remain in early access for about two years, meaning it might leave Game Pass before its full release. Meanwhile, three games are set to depart Xbox Game Pass on July 31.