The Long Dark is once again available to Xbox Game Pass users as of today. The popular survival game has returned to the subscription service as its 13th new title in March 2026, bringing the total number of this year’s Xbox Game Pass additions to 51.
Developed by Vancouver-based Hinterland Studio, The Long Dark originally launched as a Steam Early Access title in September 2014 before receiving a full multi-platform release in August 2017. That 1.0 update did not mark the end of the game’s development, but rather the start of Hinterland’s rollout of its episodic Wintermute story mode. The most recent chapter, Episode 4: Fury, Then Silence, arrived in October 2021. Three major delays and half a decade’s worth of unrelated The Long Dark updates later, the long-awaited Episode 5—aptly titled The Light at the End of All Things—is finally scheduled to launch tomorrow, March 31.
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The Long Dark Rejoins Xbox Game Pass Ahead of Its Story Mode’s Conclusion
Ahead of Episode 5’s launch, The Long Dark rejoined Xbox Game Pass on March 30. It is now available on every membership tier except the entry-level Essential plan. In addition to PC and consoles, the survival game is also playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming on supported devices. Nearly three years have passed since The Long Dark originally left Xbox Game Pass in mid-April 2023 following a 36-month stint on the service. Whether this second stint will last as long is unclear, and will likely remain as such until the last moment, as Microsoft is not in the habit of disclosing the duration of its content licensing agreements in advance.
As of late March 2026, The Long Dark holds a 4.4-star average rating on the Xbox Store, based on more than 9,700 user scores. On Steam, 89.07% of player reviews are favorable, a level of sentiment Valve classifies as “Very Positive.” That makes The Long Dark one of the highest-rated survival games currently available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Long Dark is the penultimate catalog addition from the Xbox Game Pass March 2026 roadmap. This month’s rollout is set to conclude tomorrow, March 31, with the arrival of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, another returning title that has been absent from the service for years. The final day of March will also bring two departures, as Peppa Pig: World Adventures and Mad Streets are both set to leave Xbox Game Pass at the end of the day, local time.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Catalog Arrivals with Confirmed Release Dates
|
Date |
Game |
Game Pass Tier(s) |
Platform(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mar 30 |
The Long Dark |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
Returning title; last available in the Apr 2020–Apr 2023 period. |
|
Mar 31 |
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
Returning title; last available in the Sep 2020–May 2022 period. |
|
Apr 2 |
Barbie Horse Trails |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
|
|
Apr 2 |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
Premium |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Available on PC GP and XGP Ultimate since Apr 2025. |
|
Apr 7 |
Final Fantasy 4 |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
|
|
Apr 14 |
Replaced |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Apr 14 |
Hades 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one (Series X/S) release. |
|
Apr 21 |
Vampire Crawlers |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Apr 23 |
Kiln |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Apr 28 |
Aphelion |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
May 19 |
Forza Horizon 6 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Jul 13 |
Ascend to Zero |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Aug 4 |
Beast of Reincarnation |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Aug 14 |
Grave Seasons |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
Looking ahead, April 2 will bring Barbie Horse Trails to three Xbox Game Pass tiers and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the Premium library. The Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy 4 is then due to debut on April 7, likely only a few hours before Microsoft officially unveils next month’s full Wave 1 lineup later that same day.
- Released
-
August 1, 2017
- ESRB
-
T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Hinterland Studio
- Publisher(s)
-
Hinterland Studio
