It’s easy to see why Xbox Game Pass continues to be so popular. The subscription service lets Xbox owners play online and gives them access to a mammoth, constantly-growing library of games.
Even with the controversial price hike, Xbox Game Pass can still offer incredible value for money. From blockbuster titles released on the same day they’re launched to indie gems, cult classics and forgotten greats, there truly is something for everyone.
The single-player games that will take up all of your free time
Xbox Game Pass has plenty of epic, single-player games just waiting for you to plough hours of your spare time into. Why not relive the second season of Amazon Prime Video’sFallout by diving into the brilliantly surrealFallout: New Vegas or, if you fancy something a little more fantastical, there’s Wuchang: Fallen Feathers which looks gorgeous and has a wonderfully frustrating string of baddies to obliterate.
The best single-player titles on Xbox Game Pass:
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Atomfall
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dishonored
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Far Cry 4
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
- Mass Effect
- Resident Evil 2
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Star Wars Outlaws
- The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
The co-op games perfect for a cutesy night in
We think the best thing about Xbox Game Pass is how the service introduces gamers to new experiences. From a no-pressure opportunity to try out an entirely different genre to the many couch co-op games that provide a perfect entry point for newcomers, it’s all about taking a chance. If you’ve got a video game sceptic in your life, why not invite them over for a session with the charming It Takes Two or the manic kitchen dramaOvercooked! 2. They’ll be hooked in no time.
The best co-op titles on Xbox Game Pass:
- A Way Out
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- Diablo 4
- It Takes Two
- Kingdom Two Crowns
- Moving Out 2
- Overcooked! 2
- PlateUp!
- Unravel
- Ultimate Chicken Horse
The multiplayer games that’ll have you sweating
An Xbox Game Pass subscription gives you access to a range of competitive multiplayer titles – and a never-ending stream of opponents to go up against. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a fast-paced shooter that requires skill, cunning and, most importantly, a super-quick trigger finger while chaotic sci-fi sports gameRocket League is hideously addictive. It might be best to clear your diary now.
The best multiplayer titles on Xbox Game Pass:
- Borderlands 3
- Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7
- GoldenEye 007
- Halo Infinite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Need for Speed Unbound
- Rocket League
- Star Wars Battlefront 2
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X
The best games for a quick 30-minute blast after work or school
As great as a sprawling and intricate story-driven game can be, sometimes you just want to blow off some steam and not think too hard about it. Luckily, there’s plenty in the impressive Xbox Game Pass library that offers just such a quick fix. The remasteredCrash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy brings together three of the greatest platformers ever released whileDoom: The Dark Ages drops you in the middle of an alien warzone, sufficiently equipped to cause as much mindless destruction as possible. The only problem we can foresee is that you’ll have too much fun.
The best pick-up-and-play titles on Xbox Game Pass:
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Ball x Pit
- Farming Simulator 25
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC 25
- Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Minecraft
- The Sims 4
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
- Vampire Survivors
The hidden gems
Xbox Game Pass is filled with modern day blockbusters and legendary classics. However, the service also hosts a whole load of cult brilliance that’s just as entertaining, engaging and exciting as anything else in this list. Balatro is a fiendish evolution of iconic card game poker that’s as smart as it is fun whileHi-Fi Rush provides fast-paced rhythm-based action set to a killer soundtrack. Prepare to have your mind blown over and over again by the below…
The best hidden gems on Xbox Game Pass:
- Balatro
- Blue Prince
- Control
- Crime Scene Cleaner
- Hollow Knight
- Hi-Fi Rush
- High On Life
- MIO: Memories In Orbit
- Psychonauts 2
- South Of Midnight
- Subnautica
The recent additions
Microsoft is constantly adding new titles to Xbox Game Pass and typically announces them in two waves every month. This is what has been added to the service recently:
- RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Premium, Ultimate and PC)
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Planet Of Lana 2 (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Routine (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Ultimate Sheep Racoon (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Kernel Hearts (Ultimate and PC)
- Ninja Gaiden 4 (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Dune Awakening (Premium, Ultimate and PC)
- Well Dweller (Ultimate and PC)
- Mad King Redemption (Premium, Ultimate and PC)
- Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Minecraft Dungeons 2 (Ultimate, PC)
- Keeper (Premium, joining Ultimate and PC)
- Gears Of War: E-Day (Ultimate, PC)
- Echo Weaver (Ultimate, PC)
- Forever Ago (Ultimate, PC)
- Neon Abyss 2 (Ultimate, PC and Premium)
- Battlefield 6 (Ultimate, PC)
- Deep Dish Dungeon (Ultimate, PC)
- Valor Mortis (Ultimate, PC)
- Blue’s Happy Snaps (Ultimate, PC)
- Chained Beasts (Ultimate, PC)
- Beyond These Stars (Ultimate, PC)
The post Xbox Game Pass 2026: what’s new and what’s worth playing? appeared first on NME.
