Week in Gaming News: April 5-11, 2026
Starfield lands on PS5 with a $49.99 price tag, Game Pass drops 17 games in one wave, and GTA V heads for the exit before GTA VI arrives in November.
This was one of the biggest weeks of 2026 so far for subscription gamers. Starfield finally hit PlayStation, Game Pass unloaded a massive April lineup headlined by Hades II and Oblivion Remastered, and both PlayStation and Xbox are running spring sales with thousands of discounted titles. Here's what happened.
The Big Stories
Starfield Launches on PS5 with a New DLC and Free Update
Starfield officially arrived on PlayStation 5 on April 7, alongside the free "Free Lanes" update (available on all platforms) and a new paid story expansion called "Terran Armada."
The PS5 version comes in at $49.99 for the Standard Edition, which is $20 less than most new AAA launches. The Premium Edition runs $69.99 and bundles in both the Terran Armada and Shattered Space DLCs, 1,000 Creation Credits, a skin pack, and digital extras. If you already own the game on another platform, the Terran Armada DLC is just $9.99 standalone.
| Edition | Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $49.99 | Base game + all free updates |
| Premium | $69.99 | Base game + Terran Armada DLC + Shattered Space DLC + 1,000 Creation Credits + extras |
| Terran Armada DLC (standalone) | $9.99 | Story DLC only |
Bethesda leaned into the DualSense for this port. You're getting adaptive trigger resistance that changes per weapon type (including starship weapons), haptic feedback, dynamic light bar indicators for health, controller speaker audio for in-game logs, and touchpad gestures for faster navigation. PS5 Pro owners get a native 4K/30 FPS fidelity mode and a 60 FPS performance mode, both using Sony's PSSR upscaling.
Critical reception sits at 83 on Metacritic with a 4.65/5 PlayStation Store user rating from around 1,500 reviews. The consensus: the Free Lanes update improved the game meaningfully, though some critics still want more depth in exploration.
Why it matters: At $49.99, Starfield is priced to move on PlayStation. If you've been curious but unwilling to jump platforms, this is a solid entry point with two years of updates already baked in.
Xbox Game Pass April Lineup: 17 Games Including Hades II, Oblivion Remastered, and Call of Duty
Xbox announced a stacked April Game Pass lineup with 17 titles arriving throughout the month. The highlights are hard to ignore.
| Game | Date | Platforms | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy IV | April 7 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| DayZ | April 8 | PC | PC Game Pass |
| Endless Legend 2 | April 8 | PC | PC Game Pass |
| FBC: Firebreak | April 8 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Planet Coaster 2 | April 9 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Hades II | April 14 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Replaced | April 14 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC (Day One) |
| The Thaumaturge | April 14 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered | April 16 | Xbox Series X/S, PC | All tiers (expanded) |
| EA Sports NHL 26 | April 16 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S | EA Play / Ultimate |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | April 17 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Little Rocket Lab | April 21 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato | April 21 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC |
| Vampire Crawlers | April 21 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC (Day One) |
| Kiln | April 23 | Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC (Day One) |
| Aphelion | April 28 | TBA | TBA (Day One) |
| Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era | April 30 | TBA | TBA (Day One) |
Hades II is the big one. Supergiant's roguelike sequel leaves its Switch console exclusivity and arrives on Xbox and PC Game Pass as the most complete version, with all post-launch patches and bonus content. If you haven't played it yet, April 14 on Game Pass is a no-brainer.
Oblivion Remastered is expanding from Ultimate and PC tiers to Premium as well, making it accessible to more subscribers. It includes the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine DLCs. Screen Rant described it as a "93-hour RPG," so clear your calendar.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) rounds out a CoD catalog on Game Pass that now includes WWII, MW2 (2022), MW3 (2023), Black Ops 6, and Black Ops 7.
Why it matters: 17 games in a single month, with three heavy hitters that would cost $60+ each. This is one of the strongest Game Pass months in recent memory. Budget-conscious gamers on Game Pass are eating well.
GTA V Leaves Game Pass on April 15, Seven Months Before GTA VI
Grand Theft Auto V is leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 15 after exactly one year on the service. Xbox is pulling both the Enhanced and Legacy versions.
| Game Leaving April 15 | Notes |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V: Enhanced | Both versions removed |
| Grand Theft Auto V: Legacy | Both versions removed |
| Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes | Acclaimed JRPG |
| Ashen | Soulslike action RPG |
| Terra Invicta | Grand strategy |
| My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery | Family title |
The timing isn't subtle. GTA VI launches November 19, 2026 (confirmed by Rockstar), and pulling GTA V from a subscription service seven months early is a classic move to reset the purchase funnel. Game Pass subscribers can grab a 20% discount on GTA V before it leaves if they want to keep playing.
Why it matters: If you're subscribed to Game Pass and still working through GTA V, you have until April 15 to finish or buy. With GTA VI seven months out, there's a real question of whether it's worth purchasing now or just waiting.
PS Plus April 2026 Essential Games Are Live
PlayStation Plus Essential monthly games for April dropped on April 7 and run through May 4.
| Game | Genre | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Lords of the Fallen | Soulslike action RPG | Dual-world mechanic (living and dead realms) |
| Tomb Raider I-III Remastered | Action-adventure | All expansions, secret levels, toggle between updated and original graphics |
| Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream | Co-op action | Solo or multiplayer |
All three are available to every PS Plus tier (Essential, Extra, and Premium).
Why it matters: Lords of the Fallen launched at $49.99. Getting it plus two other solid titles as part of your existing subscription is strong value, especially alongside the spring sales running right now.
PlayStation and Xbox Spring Sales: Thousands of Deals Running Now
Both platforms are running major spring sales simultaneously, and there are some standout prices.
PlayStation Spring Sale (Round Two) runs until April 23 with over 5,000 deals:
| Game | Discount |
|---|---|
| Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | 58% off |
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | 58% off |
| The Last of Us Part I | 58% off |
| Metaphor: ReFantazio | 50% off |
| Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord | 50% off |
| Tactics Ogre: Reborn | 60% off |
| Palworld | 25% off |
| PowerWash Simulator | 50% off |
Xbox Spring Sale runs until April 16 with over 2,000 deals at up to 75% off, including recent releases like Kingdom Come Deliverance II, ARC Raiders, Borderlands 4, and Elden Ring Nightreign.
Bandai Namco is also running a cross-platform spring sale with up to 60% off Tekken 8 and 35% off Elden Ring.
Why it matters: Spider-Man 2 and Metaphor: ReFantazio at half off (or better) are the highlights. If you've been waiting for the right price on either, this is it.
Quick Hits
- Nintendo Switch Online adds three NES classics. Pac-Man, Mendel Palace (Game Freak's 1990 debut title), and The Tower of Druaga are now available to all base-tier NSO subscribers.
- Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion launches April 28. Blizzard's second major expansion adds two new classes (Paladin and Warlock), the Skovos island region, reworked skill trees, a loot filter, and the return of the Horadric Cube.
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launches April 16. The social sim series returns after nearly 13 years on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, with the Switch 2 version getting faster load times, GameChat support, and 1080p handheld mode.
What to Watch Next Week
- Hades II hits Game Pass (April 14) — One of 2026's most anticipated Game Pass additions. Supergiant's roguelike sequel finally comes to Xbox and PC Game Pass.
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered expands on Game Pass (April 16) — Now available on more tiers. A massive RPG that just became free for more subscribers.
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launches (April 16) — Nintendo's social sim returns, enhanced on Switch 2.
- Pragmata launches (April 17) — Capcom's new sci-fi action-adventure IP arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Xbox Spring Sale ends April 16 — Last chance for up to 75% off over 2,000 titles.
- PlayStation Spring Sale ends April 23 — Over 5,000 deals still active.
- Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion (April 28) — Two new classes, a new region, and an overhauled endgame.
Track Subscription Changes Automatically
Keeping up with what's coming and going on Game Pass, PS Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online is a part-time job. Vaulted.Games tracks subscription catalogs so you don't have to. Get notified when games join or leave your subscriptions, track prices across stores, and make sure you never miss a deal or lose access to a game you're playing.
[Track Your Subscriptions →]
News compiled April 11, 2026.