Tim Schafer on Double Fine and Xbox: 13 Game Pass games and the split with Microsoft

According to Schafer, Double Fine’s original role in Game Pass was to supply as much content as possible, including back-catalogue titles and new games; he says that lasted seven years and around 13 games.
Schafer says he is very pro-Game Pass and hopes the service survives, because he believes it can lower the barrier to trying unusual or niche games.

What happened

Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine Productions, explained in a BBC interview why his studio and Xbox have, in his view, gone their separate ways. He says Microsoft’s strategy is shifting toward fewer, bigger IPs, while Double Fine is known for making multiple smaller and often offbeat projects. As a result, the two sides no longer fit together as well.

Schafer also links that period to Game Pass. According to him, Double Fine’s original mission within the Xbox/Game Pass model was to provide as much content as possible, both from the back catalogue and with new releases. He says that partnership lasted about seven years and that Double Fine put around 13 games on Game Pass during that time.

At the same time, Schafer stresses that he still feels positive about Game Pass. He says he hopes the service remains successful and continues, and describes it as a way to lower the barrier for players. As an example, he contrasts buying a $70 game on disc with downloading a title that is already available through a subscription, which he says is especially relevant for more unusual Double Fine games.

The available information now frames Double Fine as a studio that has returned to independence after the split with Xbox. The exact legal or organisational form of that separation is not detailed in the provided sources.

Timeline

2019: Microsoft acquires Double Fine and the studio comes under Xbox.
Around seven years: Double Fine supplies content for Game Pass, including older titles and new games, according to Schafer.
Recently: Schafer says Double Fine and Xbox split as Microsoft’s focus shifts toward fewer, bigger IPs.
23 September 2026: BBC publishes the interview in which Schafer talks about Game Pass, the economics of game development and Double Fine’s position.

Background

Tim Schafer is the founder of Double Fine Productions, the studio behind games including Day of the Tentacle and Psychonauts. In the context provided, the interview sits within broader concerns about the economics of game development and the role of subscription services such as Game Pass.

The sources also say that Double Fine has recently moved back toward independence after its period under Xbox. Further details about the timing, ownership structure or formal terms of that separation are not confirmed in the supplied material.