The First Xbox Game Pass Titles of 2026 Demonstrate Xbox Isn't Giving Up Yet.
Across the gaming landscape, commentators persist in tolling the death bells for the Xbox brand. Microsoft's console just got outsold by a relatively obscure console. Dedicated Xbox communities are now publishing content regarding Sony's platform unprecedentedly. The past year represented an era of significant turmoil for the tech giant's gaming arm. But if we're going solely off what's coming to Game Pass in 2026, it becomes clear that Xbox continues to plan to engage players with strong games on its flagship service.
The Current Inclusions
The duo of games you can play right now today, Brews & Bastards and Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition, aren't the showstoppers. Instead, the excitement lies in what's arriving to Game Pass in the coming weeks that's worth getting excited about.
Major Titles on the Horizon
Starting January 13th, the platform will add the underappreciated Star Wars Outlaws, an open-world game that refreshes conventional open-world tropes with an intergalactic heist adventure. An additional significant inclusion is Resident Evil Village featuring the towering Lady Dimitrescu, hailed in past assessments as "a superb mixture of frights and fights."
Noteworthy Smaller Games
However, the more modest titles coming to Game Pass soon are quite compelling. Lost In Random: The Eternal Die, the criminally overlooked roguelike that is incredibly fun, becomes available next week — and it merits a playthrough regardless of whether you played the first Lost in Random game.
The British post-apocalyptic game from last year could captivate you in about 15 minutes flat.
Atomfall, the stealth survival game by the makers of Sniper Elite, is another one to watch. Ultimate tier members also have Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition to look forward to.
A Robust Selection of Games
Ultimately, these titles aren't industry-shaking releases to Game Pass, and they don't represent tentpole Microsoft studios games that are the sole reason for the service in the first place. However, this batch of games are exceptionally strong. It offers a healthy blend of older titles you may have skipped and relatively recent releases that didn't get the attention they warranted upon launch — transforming them into excellent choices to experience a revival on Game Pass.
Hope you're ready to bid farewell to The Grinch Christmas Adventures, however.
