Xbox Game Pass May 2026 Wave 1: Every Game Coming and Leaving the Service
- Sagar Mankar
- 8 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Xbox Game Pass has announced its May 2026 Wave 1 lineup, and it is one of the strongest months the service has seen in a while.
The headliner is Forza Horizon 6, which launches day one on May 19. But there is plenty more to look forward to before that, with Subnautica 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and Mixtape all arriving earlier in the month. Several of these are also day-one additions, which continues to be a major draw for subscribers.
This announcement also comes shortly after Microsoft reduced the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, and PC Game Pass from $16.49 to $13.99 per month.
It is a month of big changes and bigger games. Here is the full breakdown.
Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass: May 2026 Wave 1
May 6, 2026
Ben 10 Power Trip (Cloud, Console, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
Descenders Next (Game Preview, Cloud, Console, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
Wheel World (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
Wildgate (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
May 7, 2026
Mixtape (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
May 11, 2026
Outbound (Cloud, Console, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
May 12, 2026
Black Jacket (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
Call of the Elder Gods (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
Elite Dangerous (Cloud, Console) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium
May 14, 2026
DOOM: The Dark Ages (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
Subnautica 2 (Game Preview, Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
May 19, 2026
Forza Horizon 6 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC
Key Highlights
Ben 10: Power Trip is a kid-friendly open-world action platformer from PHL Collective, published by Outright Games. Originally released in 2020, it puts you in the shoes of Ben Tennyson as he explores environments, fights enemies, and uses his Omnitrix alien transformations to solve puzzles and tackle missions. It is clearly built for younger players, and it delivers on that front. Steam reviews sit at around 75% positive, with critics scoring it 6 to 7 out of 10.
Descenders Next is the follow-up to the popular downhill sports roguelike Descenders, developed by RageSquid and published by No More Robots. Released in Early Access in 2025, it throws you down procedurally generated tracks on snowboards and mountainboards at high speeds, with an emphasis on tricks, flow, and physics-based crashes. Steam reviews are mostly positive at around 79%, and PC Gamer praised its core gameplay feel as being honed close to perfection. It needs more content as an Early Access title, but the fundamentals are very strong.
Wheel World is a charming open-world cycling adventure from Messhof, published by Annapurna Interactive. You play as cyclist Kat in a stylized world, racing rivals, customizing bikes with a deep parts system, and following a story about saving the world through ancient cycling spirits. It launched in 2025 to very positive Steam reviews, sitting at around 90% approval. Critics praised its riding mechanics, exploration, and the sheer uniqueness of its cycling focus.
Wildgate is a PvPvE space extraction shooter from Moonshot Games, published by Dreamhaven. Up to four players crew a ship together, engaging in ship-to-ship combat, boarding enemy vessels, exploring dungeons for loot, and trying to escape with artifacts before rival crews stop them. It has been compared to Sea of Thieves but set in space. Steam reviews are very positive overall, though more recent feedback has been slightly more mixed. Critics have highlighted its chaotic fun while noting it could use more variety and balance improvements.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a soulslike action RPG from Leenzee Games, published by 505 Games. Set in a gritty world inspired by Chinese culture and mythology, it features fast-paced combat with weapons, skills, and deep build customization across a skill tree. The game launched in 2025 to a mixed to generally favorable reception, with a Metacritic score around 74. Critics praised the combat fluidity and world design, though some pointed to optimization issues and a familiarity to other games in the genre. It crossed one million in sales, which is a strong result for a debut title. Leenzee Games recently handed over full control of the game to Digital Bros for €4 million. The game is also part of the PS Plus May free game lineup.
Mixtape is the next game from Beethoven and Dinosaur, the studio behind The Artful Escape, published once again by Annapurna Interactive. It is a coming-of-age narrative adventure set in the 1990s, where a group of friends spend one last night together before graduation. Each vignette features different gameplay, from skateboarding and driving to taking photos and attending parties, all tied together with a strong music-driven atmosphere. It launches on May 7 as a day-one Game Pass title, and previews have been very warm on its storytelling and nostalgic feel.
Outbound is a cozy open-world van-life crafting game from indie developer Square Glade Games. You customize and build out a camper van, explore a laid-back utopian world, gather resources, farm, and live sustainably either solo or with up to three other players. It is a relaxed alternative to more intense survival games, and it arrives on May 11 as a day-one Game Pass addition.
Black Jacket is a narrative-driven roguelite deckbuilder from Mi'pu'mi Games, published by Skystone Games. The concept is built around blackjack mechanics transplanted into a fantasy afterlife, where you gamble souls, build card combos, and bend the rules of the game with artifacts and curse modifiers. It is a fresh twist on the deckbuilder genre and arrives on May 12 as a day-one release.
Call of the Elder Gods is the sequel to 2020's critically acclaimed Call of the Sea, developed by Out of the Blue Games and published by Kwalee. This Lovecraftian narrative puzzle adventure features two protagonists solving interconnected mysteries tied to ancient horrors, spanning global locations across time and space. The original Call of the Sea was beloved for its atmospheric puzzles and thoughtful storytelling, and this sequel looks to build on that foundation. It launches on May 12 as a day-one Game Pass title.
Elite Dangerous is the long-running space simulation from Frontier Developments, originally released in 2014. It puts you in a 1:1 scale recreation of the Milky Way, where you pilot ships, trade, explore, fight, and engage in on-foot missions. It has built a dedicated and passionate community over the years, and a major new update called Operations is on its way, though it has been pushed to June 2026. If you have never tried it, hitting Game Pass on May 12 is a great opportunity to dive in.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software's prequel to the modern DOOM series, published by Bethesda Softworks. It originally launched in May 2025 and was one of the best-reviewed games of that year. This entry takes a heavier, more grounded approach than DOOM Eternal, putting greater emphasis on melee combat, shield parrying, and brutal close-range fights against demons in a dark fantasy setting.
Subnautica 2 is the long-awaited sequel from Unknown Worlds Entertainment, published by Krafton. It arrives in Early Access on May 14 after a period of delays and behind-the-scenes legal complications between the developer and publisher. The sequel takes the underwater survival and base-building formula of the original and adds cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, alongside expanded building systems and new alien ocean biomes to explore.
Forza Horizon 6 is the big one. Developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, it is set in Japan and brings the Horizon festival's open-world racing to one of the most visually striking settings in the series so far. As a first-party Microsoft title, it hits Game Pass day one on May 19. Premium edition owners can access it four days early on May 15. A PlayStation 5 version is also planned for later in 2026.
Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass on May 15
These titles are heading out mid-month, so wrap them up before they go:
Galacticare (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Go Mecha Ball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Planet of Lana (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Planet of Lana is the most notable departure from this batch. It is a beautifully crafted cinematic puzzle platformer that drew comparisons to games like Limbo and Inside when it launched. If you have not played it yet, it is well worth a few hours of your time before May 15.