Xbox Game Pass has recorded a new dual-release, with the Ultimate tier of the service getting NHL 26 while Premium subscribers received The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. The former is the ninth new title to join the Ultimate library in April 2026, while the latter marks the 12th addition to the Xbox Game Pass Premium catalog during the same period.
After years’ worth of insider reports testifying to its existence, Oblivion Remastered was shadow dropped on Xbox Game Pass in late April 2025. Bethesda hired the Singapore-based Virtuos, one of the industry’s largest outsourcing studios, to lead development on the project. The finished product uses two engines: Bethesda’s Gamebryo, which powered the 2006 original, and Unreal Engine 5. The former still governs scripting and other game logic, while the latter handles rendering. Oblivion Remastered debuted as one of the highest-rated open-world RPGs of spring 2025, earning a “Strong” rating on OpenCritic, based on more than 100 reviews with an average score of 82 and an 87% recommendation rate.
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NHL 26 Joins Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as Oblivion Remastered Expands to Premium Tier
A week shy of its first anniversary, Oblivion Remastered has at last joined the Xbox Game Pass Premium library. Its expanded release coincides with the arrival of NHL 26 on the Ultimate tier. EA’s annual hockey sim franchise has consistently skipped PC since the late ’90s, and the latest entry is no exception. Nonetheless, it is still possible to play NHL 26 on PC via Xbox Cloud Gaming. Somewhat counterintuitively, PC Game Pass is presently the only tier lacking access to the streaming platform, which started as an Ultimate exclusive but expanded to Premium and Essential subscribers in August 2025.
Since NHL 26 requires the Xbox Game Pass EA Play add-on, it is unlikely to expand beyond the Ultimate tier. That said, it also isn’t expected to leave anytime soon, as underlined by the fact that both NHL 25 and NHL 24 are still available on the service as of today. The most recent installment to depart from Microsoft’s content catalog is NHL 23, which left Xbox Game Pass in April 2025. Should the pattern continue, its direct sequel may end up getting pulled on April 30.
Confirmed Xbox Game Pass Releases for April 2026 nd Beyond
|
Date |
Game |
Game Pass Tier(s) |
Platform(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Apr 16 |
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered |
Premium |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Apr 2025. |
|
Apr 16 |
EA Sports NHL 26 |
Ultimate |
Cloud, Series X/S |
|
|
Apr 17 |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare |
Ultimate, PC, Premium |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
Apr 21 |
Vampire Crawlers |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
|
Apr 21 |
Little Rocket Lab |
Premium |
Cloud, Console, PC |
Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Oct 2025. |
|
Apr 21 |
Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato |
Premium |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
Available on XGP Ultimate and PC GP since Oct 2025. |
|
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. |
NHL 26 is the 63rd new title to join Microsoft’s subscription service this year. Xbox Game Pass currently has four more officially confirmed arrivals for April 2026, including the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot and Vampire Crawlers, a brand-new title by Vampire Survivors developer Poncle.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
Looking ahead, April 21 is likely to bring the official reveal of the Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 lineup for the month, based on Microsoft’s historical preference for making such announcements on Tuesdays. More than 30 upcoming titles have already been formally confirmed for the service, but while most are targeting 2026 debuts, all but a few are still lacking a release date as of today.
- Released
-
September 12, 2025
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Mild Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Engine
-
Frostbite
