Xbox Game Pass Adds Day-One Title and One of 2023’s Highest-Rated Games

The Xbox Game Pass library has expanded with two more titles, bringing its total number of additions for November 2026 to 11. The latest catalog update includes a critically acclaimed 2023 game and Hope in the City, the seventh day-one arrival to join Xbox Game Pass this month.

Developed by Canadian studio Lofty Sky Entertainment, Hope in the City is a low-poly adventure game set in Shenyang, China, following 17-year-old aspiring artist Hope Song as she investigates her parents’ mysterious disappearance. Armed with a sketchbook rather than conventional detective tools, Hope searches the neon-lit city for clues, questions residents, and records suspicious details through drawings and notes. Players then revisit their findings, connecting seemingly unrelated observations to form deductions that open up new dialogue options, locations, and investigative leads. This cycle of exploration, evidence gathering, and creative deduction drives the core gameplay loop.

‘Hope in the City’ is the Latest Day-One Addition to Xbox Game Pass

Arriving Alongside Highly Acclaimed Strategy Game ‘Thronefall’

Hope in the City launched worldwide for PC and consoles on November 11, when it also joined Microsoft’s subscription service. Its day-one arrival coincides with Thronefall joining Xbox Game Pass. The tower defense and city-building hybrid originally debuted as a PC exclusive in 2023 before expanding to the Nintendo Switch in 2024 and mobile devices in 2025. Thronefall has now officially received its long-awaited Series X/S and PS5 versions, and though the former is technically a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass, the game itself is not, meaning it is immediately available on the budget-friendly XGP Premium tier, in addition to XGP Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Thronefall currently holds an average score of 84 and a 90% recommendation rate on OpenCritic, earning the aggregator’s “Mighty” rating and ranking in the 93rd percentile of all titles in its database. As such, it is also one of the highest-rated games of 2023, particularly within the strategy genre. Critics praised Thronefall for its minimalist RTS formula, which strips away much of the genre’s complexity while still retaining a substantial amount of strategic depth. This balance of accessibility and depth, combined with an addictive gameplay loop, charming visuals, and high replay value, helped establish Grizzly Games’ indie release as a favorite among critics and players alike.

All Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Titles with Officially Confirmed Release Dates

The arrivals of Thronefall and Hope in the City will be followed by John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, which is scheduled to join Microsoft’s subscription catalog on November 12. A much larger Xbox Game Pass expansion will follow on November 15, when eight titles will be added to the service’s entry-level Essential tier.

November 15 is also the date when the ever-changing content catalog will lose 13 titles, including Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and 1000xResist. Other mid-month departures from Xbox Game Pass include Moonlighter, Pigeon Simulator, and Winter Burrow, as well as Wreckfest and Relic Hunters Legend.