Games Coming to Game Pass: October 2026
October is stacked. Eleven games are confirmed for Xbox Game Pass so far, and 10 of them land day one, headlined by Gears of War: E-Day, the franchise's big return and a first-party Xbox exclusive hitting the service the day it launches. Microsoft is still announcing in waves, so expect this list to grow. Here's everything coming to the service next month.
October 2026 Game Pass Lineup
| Game | Date | Platforms | Metacritic | Time to Beat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keeper | Oct 2 | Console, PC, Cloud | 78 | ~4–5 hrs |
| Gears of War: E-Day (Day One) | Oct 6 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | ~14 hrs |
| Echo Weaver (Day One) | Oct 8 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Neon Abyss 2 (Day One) | Oct 8 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Deep Dish Dungeon (Day One) | Oct 13 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Valor Mortis (Day One) | Oct 13 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Beyond These Stars (Day One) | Oct 15 | PC only | TBD | TBD |
| Chained Beasts (Day One) | Oct 15 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Bluey's Happy Snaps (Day One) | Oct 15 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| The Séance of Blake Manor (Day One) | Oct 27 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
| Terrible Lizards (Day One) | Oct 29 | Console, PC, Cloud | TBD | TBD |
More games will be announced. Microsoft typically reveals additions in waves throughout the month.
A quick note on tiers: every day-one title needs Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. Premium, Essential, and Core don't get day-one access. The one exception is Keeper, which isn't day one but is newly available on Premium as well.
Highlight Picks
Gears of War: E-Day (Day One) - October 6
This is the one everyone's been waiting for. Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set during Emergence Day itself (the moment the Locust first tore through the surface), starring a young Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. It's a first-party Xbox exclusive from The Coalition, and it's on Game Pass day one. That alone probably justifies your subscription this month.
The campaign is reportedly the longest The Coalition has ever built, clocking in around 14 hours (prior Gears campaigns ran closer to 9–12 hours). Creative Director Matt Searcy has talked up the scale, so treat that number as a strong estimate until reviews land. If you own the Premium Edition, you get up to 5 days of early access starting around October 1, but the Game Pass launch is October 6.
Reviews aren't out yet, so the Metacritic score is genuinely TBD. But if you've got any love for cover-based shooting, brutal co-op, and chainsaw bayonets, this is a no-brainer.
Play if you like: previous Gears of War games, Halo, co-op cover shooters.
Keeper - October 2
Keeper is the odd one out here. It's already released, and it's the only title on the list that isn't day one. But it's worth flagging because it's a Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios game, and it's landing on the Premium tier this month (on top of Ultimate and PC Game Pass), so more subscribers can play it.
It's also the only scored game in the bunch, sitting at 78 on Xbox and 83 on PC, which is "generally favorable" territory. At roughly 4–5 hours, it's a tidy weekend play that won't eat your whole month.
Play if you like: short, arty single-player experiences, Double Fine's catalog.
Neon Abyss 2 (Day One) - October 8
The original Neon Abyss was a chaotic, weapon-stacking roguelite that built a loyal following, and the sequel from Veewo Games arrives day one on Game Pass. If you like runs that spiral into absurd, screen-filling builds, this is an easy download.
No score yet (it's unreleased), but roguelites are exactly the kind of low-commitment, high-replay game that thrives on a subscription. Try it, and if it doesn't click, no harm done.
Play if you like: Neon Abyss, Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon.
Bluey's Happy Snaps (Day One) - October 15
Not every headliner needs a chainsaw. Bluey's Happy Snaps is a family adventure from Gameloft Brisbane and Bandai Namco, based on the wildly popular kids' show, and it drops day one. It was one of the later October confirmations, so it's a fresh addition to the lineup.
If you've got younger kids in the house, this is the kind of thing that makes a Game Pass subscription pull double duty. Console, PC, and Cloud, so it'll run just about anywhere.
Play if you like: family and kids' games, licensed Bluey content.
Chained Beasts (Day One) - October 15
Chained Beasts is a gladiatorial action roguelite from Featherweight Games built for 1–4 players. Co-op roguelites are a great fit for Game Pass because you and a friend can both jump in without either of you buying it. It's day one on Console, PC, and Cloud.
Play if you like: co-op roguelites, Risk of Rain 2.
Value Assessment
Let's be honest about what this month is. Ten day-one games is a strong number, and the marquee value driver is Gears of War: E-Day, a first-party AAA exclusive that would otherwise run you around $69.99. A single day-one release like that roughly matches three to four months of Game Pass Ultimate on its own. If you were ever going to subscribe for one month, October is a good one.
The genre variety is genuinely good: a AAA shooter, a stack of roguelites (Neon Abyss 2, Chained Beasts, Deep Dish Dungeon), horror-mystery (The Séance of Blake Manor, timed nicely for Halloween), a family pick (Bluey's Happy Snaps), and a PC-only narrative game (Beyond These Stars).
Here's the honest caveat, though: outside of Gears E-Day, this slate is heavily indie and day-one-unknown. Most of these games are unreleased, which is why their Metacritic scores read TBD, not a guess, just genuinely not reviewed yet. The quality is unproven until reviews arrive. The upside of a subscription is that you can try them all at zero extra cost and bail on the ones that don't land.
And remember, Microsoft isn't done. October additions come in waves, so more titles will almost certainly be confirmed as the month goes on.
What's Leaving in October?
Microsoft hasn't announced October's removals yet. Those typically drop mid-month (often around the 15th) and take effect at the end of the month. For reference, 8 games left on September 30, including Sifu and Atomfall. We'll update our "Games Leaving Game Pass" article the moment the October list is confirmed.
Track Your Game Pass Library
Keeping tabs on what's coming, what's leaving, and what you've actually played across Game Pass is exactly what Vaulted.Games is built for. Track your entire Game Pass library in one place, get alerts before games leave, and see which day-one releases are worth your time, no spreadsheets required.
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Last updated: September 29, 2026. Sources linked below.
Sources
- Xbox Wire — September 2026 Wave 2 (Gears of War: E-Day, Keeper): https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/09/15/xbox-game-pass-september-2026-wave-2/
- Xbox.com — Gears of War: E-Day official game page: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/gears-of-war-eday
- Pure Xbox — All Games Coming Soon in October 2026: https://www.purexbox.com/guides/xbox-game-pass-all-games-coming-soon-in-october-2026
- Pure Xbox — Seven Games Confirmed for October 2026 So Far: https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/09/seven-games-are-confirmed-for-xbox-game-pass-in-october-2026-so-far
- Game Rant — 9 Day One Games Confirmed for October 2026: https://gamerant.com/xbox-game-pass-games-coming-soon-list-october-2026/
- Game Rant — Chained Beasts & Bluey's Happy Snaps confirmations: https://gamerant.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-games-chained-beasts-blueys-happy-snaps/
- TrueAchievements — Eight Games Confirmed for October 2026 So Far: https://www.trueachievements.com/news/xbox-game-pass-eight-games-confirmed-october-2026
- Windows Report — October 2026 (Keeper, Gears E-Day & more): https://windowsreport.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-keeper-gears-of-war-e-day-more-games-are-coming-soon/
- Metacritic — Keeper (78 Xbox / 83 PC): https://www.metacritic.com/game/keeper/
- Insider Gaming — Gears of War: E-Day campaign length: https://insider-gaming.com/gears-of-war-e-day-campaign-length-reportedly-breaks-a-series-record/
- GamingBible — Gears of War: E-Day campaign length confirmed: https://www.gamingbible.com/news/platform/xbox/gears-of-war-e-day-campaign-length-confirmed-218540-20260611
- Pure Xbox — Gears of War: E-Day release date & details: https://www.purexbox.com/guides/gears-of-war-e-day-release-date-release-times-and-everything-you-need-to-know-on-xbox-and-pc
- TrueAchievements — September 2026 Wave 2 (September context / leaving): https://www.trueachievements.com/news/xbox-game-pass-september-2026-wave-2