"Every moment of pleasure in life must be bought by an equal moment of pain," said Danilo O'Dell, a supporting character in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

This seems to be the operating principle behind Xbox Game Pass this March: in less than 30 days, access to one of the best games the service has to offer, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, will be lost. But as soon as CD Projekt Red's fantasy epic is released, fans will be able to launch "Star Wars: Squadrons," arguably the best sci-fi space combat sim of the last few years.

This information comes from Microsoft's Xbox Wire blog, which details the games coming to the Xbox Game Pass service this month, as well as those that will be discontinued.

For those who haven't tried it yet, Xbox Game Pass is a monthly subscription service that allows you to download hundreds of games for Xbox, PC, or both. Like video streaming services, the selection on Xbox Game Pass changes over time.

First the bad news. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt will end its service on March 15, which means you only have about 10 more days to play it. This epic fantasy RPG debuted in 2015 and remains arguably the gold standard for the entire genre.

In the game, you control Geralt of Rivia, a wandering monster hunter, who must search for a lost sorcerer, navigate the complex world of royal politics, and battle battalions of spectral invaders as a devastating war rages. The main storyline is a handful, with plenty of meaningful side content and the ability to customize Geralt, who excels in swordsmanship, magic, and alchemy.

As you might imagine, it is nearly impossible to complete the game in less than two weeks, unless you are willing to treat it like a day job, night job, and weekend job all rolled into one. But if you have even the slightest attachment to the genre (or to Netflix's brilliant TV adaptation of the original), you owe it to yourself to set aside at least a few hours to play The Witcher 3.

If you like it, you can always purchase the game (currently $40) and continue playing it for as long as you like; as long as you're on an Xbox console, your save files will carry over.

The good news is that another great game is coming to Game Pass. That game is Star Wars: Squadrons, which was one of the top "Best Games of 2020" awards among the Tom's Guide staff.

This complex space combat sim puts players in the cockpit of iconic Star Wars X-wings, TIE fighters, and more as they vie for galactic supremacy with other players. Multiplayer is the main attraction, but there is also a single-player campaign that is perfect as a tutorial.

"The cool thing about Star Wars: Squadrons is that it strikes a beautiful balance between a hardcore space sim where you're "constantly managing all the systems" and an arcade-style action game where you "just fly and shoot.

You have to power various subsystems, control thrust and angle, take care of missile resupply, and learn the layout of various ship cockpits. However, the game's main objective remains the same: high-intensity dogfights with fast, powerful ships. The game will be released in late March, but Microsoft did not give an exact date.

There are other games available from Xbox Game Pass this month. Sports fans will enjoy "Madden NFL 21" and "NBA 2K21," which are currently available. Metroidvania fans, however, will no doubt enjoy "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night," which will not be available after March 15.

In any case, one beloved game leaves and another comes along. That is the life cycle of the Xbox Game Pass.