Week in Gaming News: April 19-25, 2026
Xbox just slashed the price of Game Pass Ultimate by seven dollars a month. That's the headline. The trade-off? New Call of Duty games won't be day-one anymore. Meanwhile, PS Plus dropped a strong April catalog, Capcom proved new IPs can still sell, and a stacked ID@Xbox showcase gave us plenty to look forward to. Here's what happened.
The Big Stories
Game Pass Gets a $7 Price Cut, But Call of Duty Loses Day-One Access
Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma has been saying it since she took over from Phil Spencer in February: "Game Pass has become too expensive for players." On April 21, she backed that up with action.
Game Pass Ultimate dropped from $29.99/month to $22.99/month. PC Game Pass went from $16.49 to $13.99/month. Here's the full breakdown:
| Tier | Old Price | New Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $9.99/mo | $9.99/mo | No change |
| Premium | $14.99/mo | $14.99/mo | No change |
| Ultimate | $29.99/mo | $22.99/mo | -$7.00/mo |
| PC Game Pass | $16.49/mo | $13.99/mo | -$2.50/mo |
The catch: future Call of Duty titles won't launch on Game Pass day one anymore. New CoD games will be added roughly a year after release during the following holiday season. Existing Call of Duty titles already in the library aren't going anywhere.
Why it matters: That $7/month savings adds up to $84/year. If you don't play Call of Duty, this is a pure win. If CoD is your main game, you'll need to decide whether buying it separately still makes financial sense. Either way, the October 2025 price hike to $29.99 was clearly unsustainable, and this correction was overdue.
Game Pass April Wave 2 Caps Off a Loaded Month
The second wave of Game Pass additions for April landed on April 20, and the full month is shaping up to be one of the service's strongest lineups in recent memory.
Wave 2 additions:
| Game | Date | Tiers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rocket Lab | April 21 | Premium | Cozy machine-building RPG |
| Vampire Crawlers | April 21 | Ultimate, PC | From the Vampire Survivors creators; turn-based roguelite |
| Kiln | April 23 | Ultimate, PC | Pottery power-fantasy about creativity and destruction |
| Aphelion | April 28 | Day One | From Don't Nod (Life Is Strange creators) |
| Trepang2 | TBD April | Ultimate, PC | FPS action |
| Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era | TBD April | TBD | Strategy |
This is on top of Wave 1 highlights like Hades II (day one, April 14), Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (April 16), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (April 17). Between the price drop and this lineup, April is making a strong case for Game Pass value.
PS Plus Extra/Premium April Lineup Is Live
PS Plus Extra and Premium games for April became available on April 21. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered headlines the catalog.
Extra tier:
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PS5)
- The Crew Motorfest (PS5/PS4)
- Football Manager 26 Console (PS5)
- WARRIORS: Abyss (PS5/PS4)
- Squirrel with a Gun (PS5)
- The Casting of Frank Stone (PS5)
- Monster Train (PS5)
Premium tier (additional):
- Wild Arms 4 (PS5/PS4)
PlayStation also dropped Sky: Children of the Light as a surprise free download for all PS Plus members this month.
Heads up: Several games are leaving PS Plus in May, including Control Ultimate Edition, MotoGP 25, Sand Land, Soul Hackers 2, and Mortal Shell. Removals are expected around May 19. If Control has been sitting in your backlog, now's the time.
Capcom's Pragmata Sells 1 Million Copies in 48 Hours
A brand-new IP hitting 1 million sales in two days doesn't happen often. Capcom pulled it off with Pragmata, a sci-fi action-adventure that launched April 17 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The game follows astronaut Hugh Williams and an android named Diana through a near-future lunar station controlled by AI. Capcom credits the early release of a playable demo and broad platform availability (including Switch 2 at launch) for the fast start.
Why it matters: Publishers love to play it safe with sequels and remakes. Pragmata proves that gamers will still show up for something genuinely new if it's good and marketed well. The game was developed primarily by a younger team at Capcom, which is a good sign for the studio's future.
ID@Xbox Showcase Highlights Indie Games Coming to Game Pass
The ID@Xbox Presented by IGN Showcase aired April 23, delivering around 50 minutes of indie game announcements. Several titles are coming day one to Game Pass:
- Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions — Co-op spinoff of Astroneer. Day one on Game Pass (Xbox, PC, PS5, Switch 2).
- Screenbound — Action-adventure mixing 3D and 2D gameplay. Day one on Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Albion Online — PvP MMO coming free-to-play to Xbox with Game Pass perks.
- Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School — Sequel to the puzzle-escape game.
- Beastro — Cooking roguelite RPG launching May 21, 2026.
- Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive — Based on the popular anime/manhwa.
Xbox continues to invest in indie gaming through these showcases, and the day-one Game Pass commitments add real value for subscribers.
Battlefield 6 Roadmap: Classic Maps and Naval Warfare Coming in 2026
EA and DICE revealed the Battlefield 6 2026 roadmap on April 16, outlining three seasons of content:
- Season 3 (May): Two reimagined classic maps: "Railway to Golmud" (from Battlefield 4) and "Cairo Bazaar" (from Battlefield 3). Railway to Golmud will be the game's largest map to date.
- Season 4 (Summer): Naval Warfare arrives with a new map "Tsuru Reef" and the return of Wake Island.
- Season 5 (Fall): A brand-new location plus a holiday drop of three maps.
That's 7+ new maps total for 2026, including fan-favorite legacy maps. Battlefield 6 had a rough launch, and this roadmap is EA's clearest signal yet that they're committed to turning it around.
Age of Mythology: Retold Launches Obsidian Mirror Expansion
The final expansion in the Age of Mythology: Retold Expansion Pass launched April 21. Obsidian Mirror adds an entirely new Aztec Pantheon with three Major Gods, new Minor Gods, and a 12-mission campaign built around fear, illusion, and sacrifice.
The base game is available on Game Pass. The DLC itself requires a separate purchase or the Expansion Pass. A free update (patch 19.10195) launched alongside it with general fixes.
Quick Hits
- Nine games leaving Game Pass April 30: Citizen Sleeper, Goat Simulator, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, and Revenge of the Savage Planet among them. Subscribers get up to 20% off purchases before removal.
- Nintendo Switch Online adds Pac-Man and Mendel Palace. MLB The Show 26 also has a free Game Trial for NSO members through April 29.
- Hades II hit Game Pass on April 14 as a day-one release. The Xbox version includes all post-launch patches, making it the most complete version at launch.
- Starfield is now on PS5 (launched April 7). Standard edition is $49.99, Premium is $69.99. Includes the Free Lanes expansion and the new Terran Armada story DLC.
What to Watch Next Week
- Aphelion launches April 28 — Don't Nod's new game arrives day one on Game Pass. From the creators of Life Is Strange.
- Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era — Expected to arrive on Game Pass in late April.
- Games leaving Game Pass April 30 — Last chance to play or buy at a discount before nine titles depart.
- PS Plus May monthly games announcement — Usually revealed the last Wednesday of the month.
- Battlefield 6 Season 3 approaching (May) — Railway to Golmud and new content on the horizon.
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News compiled April 24, 2026.