Once again, Major Nelson disappointed Xbox fans last night as another day passed without any mention of the new Games with Gold February lineup.

Many sites, including ourselves, would have predicted that the new free games coming next month would have been announced by now.

However, in fairness, Microsoft and Xbox were busy announcing another rather excellent new feature for their second subscription service, Xbox Game Pass.

The announcement revealed that all new games published by Microsoft Studios will now be released onto Xbox Game Pass on the same date as their global release.

This means that when Sea of Thieves launches on March 20th 2018, it will be included on Xbox Game Pass for all members.

In addition to this, the plan will bring upcoming new games beyond the release of  Sea of Thieves, such as State of Decay 2, and Crackdown 3 to Xbox Game Pass at the same time as their global release date later this year.

Microsoft were also keen to stress that this will also apply to any future unannounced games from Microsoft Studios including exclusive franchises such as Halo, Forza and Gears of War.

Good news for Xbox users all round we think. Now, if they could just get round to the business of announcing the February Games with Gold, we'd be even more pleased.

Unfortunately, Major Nelson didn't drop the new Games with Gold February 2018 update last night, but with every day that passes the closer we're getting to this eventual announcement from Xbox and Microsoft.

The reveal could still come later today but there's still no leaks to indicate what titles might be included for the month of February.

However, the delay might be linked to Microsoft's decision to release their latest Deals with Gold offers for the week.

For the next seven days, Xbox Live subscribers can grab up to 50% off Star Wars Battlefront II, 67% off the Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition and several massive discounts across plenty of Battlefield titles.

If you want something less shooty, then there's also 75% off NBA LIVE 18: The One Edition and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments.

For those looking to relive the good old days, you can also grab money off backwards compatible Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV.

You can find the full Deals with Gold list on Major Nelson's website, on the link.

ORIGINAL STORY - Xbox Games with Gold subscribers could soon find out what games they'll receive for free from Microsoft in February, with Major Nelson's announcement expected to arrive at some point later today.

For the previous three months, Major Nelson and Microsoft have announced the news on the 22nd of each month. And you know what today's day is, right?

Whilst this is by no means a certainty that we will see the games revealed today - given that prior to those three months Microsoft had released the news anywhere between the 24th-25th as well -  it would make sense for something to be revealed today.

Not least because it would give Microsoft the perfect start to the week, but also because existing Games with Gold subscribers would then have plenty of time to download the existing crop of available titles from January 2018 before they disappear.

Unfortunately, unlike past months there are zero leaks online to indicate what games we might be seeing delivered in February.

That could change very quickly though, so you'll just need to keep your eyes peels on this page for updates throughout the day as well as Major Nelson's Twitter feed for further news.

With that in mind, if we do see an official announcement today, it will likely come in the afternoon.

For those unfamiliar with how Games with Gold works - perhaps for anyone who only got their first Xbox at Christmas - here's a quick explainer:

Every month Xbox Live Gold members will receive four new free games – two on Xbox One and two on Xbox 360.

Typically, Games With Gold includes two titles available for a period of two weeks and another two available for a month. It can get confusing and you don't want to accidentally miss out on downloading a great game, so it's worth marking the dates down on your calendar to ensure you don't miss out.

Equally, you shouldn't forget that two of the games included are from the Xbox 360 era, and that means both titles can be played on your Xbox One thanks to the console's backwards compatibility features.

Plus, now that the Xbox One has a dedicated Xbox 360 backwards compatibility store, you can easily search for, find, and download these games should you forget to download them for free during Games with Gold.

Keep reading to discover a little more about each of the remaining Xbox One Games with Gold titles for October.

Currently, Xbox One owners with an active Xbox Live Gold membership can download three great games for absolutely free.

Throughout October Xbox Live Gold members can download "the emotionally gripping first-person narrative adventure" Gone Home for the Xbox One.

In addition, fans can also download challenging sci-fi puzzle game The Turing Test all the way until November 15th.

Lastly, there's Medal of Honor: Airborne which might be a nice way to warm up ahead of the Call of Duty WW2 release next month.

Just to be clear, here are the remaining Games with Gold titles up for grabs and the dates for when you can download them.

• The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III - Available January 1 to 31 on Xbox One• Zombi - Available January 16 to 15 February on Xbox One• Army of Two - Available January 16 to 31 on Xbox One and Xbox 360

You can learn more about each of the free games below:

Here are all the games [still] available for January's Games with Gold 2018 offering:

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing IIIVan Helsing III will make its debut on Xbox One and will be Xbox One X Enhanced upon release. In this final chapter of the trilogy, you’ll see Borgovia in its darkest state. The civil war may be over, but a strange cult is prophesizing the end of the world. Van Helsing will do battle against even more terrifying beasts with an expanded arsenal for six specialized character classes and a more detailed, diverse leveling system. He’s now prepared to face his archenemy in this world of squabbling factions and criminals, but he won’t be alone — Lady Katarina, his ghost companion, is still with him and her story is set to be revealed as well.

ZombiHow long do you think you can survive in the streets of London, surrounded by the infected among the roads and underground canals? If you happen to fall victim to these mindless enemies, you’ll lose all your possessions. Start again as a different survivor and you can fight your way back to recover your stash. Plan well and you may make it out alive.

Army of Two [Backwards Compatible]Combat, camaraderie, and cash. Bring your best buddy (or play with the AI) in this innovative co-op third-person shooter centered around the world of private military enterprise. Earn and spend your money to improve your weapons and increase your lethality as your jobs will take you around the world, from Afghanistan to South Korea, where your team will confront a conspiracy that threatens the entire world.