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Across the gaming landscape, enthusiasts continue to ring the knell for the Xbox brand. The platform was lately surpassed in sales by a lesser-known competitor. Dedicated Xbox communities are now publishing content regarding Sony's platform for the first time. Last year proved to be an era of significant turmoil for the tech giant's gaming arm. But if we're going solely off the upcoming Game Pass lineup in 2026, it's evident that Xbox continues to plan to draw people in with strong games on its flagship service.

The Available Now Titles

The duo of games that are immediately available as you read this, Brews & Bastards and Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition, aren't the showstoppers. Rather, it's what is coming to Game Pass over the next few weeks that's deserving of attention.

Significant Forthcoming Releases

Starting January 13th, Game Pass will add the underappreciated Star Wars Outlaws, a sprawling adventure that breaks up conventional open-world tropes with a cosmic robbery tale. An additional significant inclusion is Resident Evil Village with its iconic tall vampire, which our 2021 review called "the perfect cocktail of frights and fights."

Noteworthy Smaller Games

Yet, the less-hyped additions set to join the catalog deserve recognition. Lost In Random: The Eternal Die, an unjustly ignored roguelite that is incredibly fun, arrives January 7th — and it's worth experiencing regardless of whether you played the first Lost in Random game.

This UK-developed survival title from last year may draw you in within just a quarter of an hour.

Atomfall, a game blending infiltration and resource management by Rebellion Developments, is also a game to check out. Those with the top-tier subscription also have Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition to get excited about.

A Solid, Curated Lineup

Ultimately, this isn't a revolutionary update to Game Pass, and they are also not tentpole Microsoft studios games that are the sole reason for the service alone. Yet, this selection are exceptionally strong. There's a good mixture of old games you might have missed and new-ish games that failed to receive the spotlight they deserved the first time around — rendering them ideal prospects to find a new audience on Game Pass.

Be prepared to say goodbye to The Grinch Christmas Adventures, however.