Xbox Game Pass members are able to play Nova Roma as of today. The colorful indie title marks only the third day-one release to join the service in March, with no more brand-new arrivals being expected to land on Xbox Game Pass before mid-April 2026.
The second-ever title from three-person studio Lion Shield, Nova Roma is a city builder set in the Roman Empire, but at a time long past its glory days. It tasks players with building a new Rome (hence the name) that reflects all the virtues of the crumbling capital at the height of its influence. Nova Roma was originally scheduled to launch in early access on January 22, 2026. It was delayed a few weeks before that deadline, with Lion Shield deciding to take some extra time for polish informed by the initial wave of player feedback from the game’s demo, which was released in early December and remains available as of today.
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Nova Roma Joins Two Xbox Game Pass Tiers
Nova Roma officially launched on March 26, arriving in the early afternoon hours ET. As is the case with many early access titles on Xbox Game Pass, Lion Shield’s new release is currently only available for PC, thus being limited to PC Game Pass and Ultimate-tier subscribers. The current plan is for Nova Roma to stay in early access for approximately one year, according to its official FAQ on Steam. A console version of the city builder hasn’t been formally confirmed yet, making it unclear whether Nova Roma will ever find its way to the Series X/S.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Gameplay-wise, Nova Roma does not radically reinvent the city-builder formula so much as give it a distinct Roman theme: its main differentiators are a deity system that ties temples, favors, and divine demands directly into progression, historically inspired infrastructure such as realistic aqueducts and mixed-use buildings, and a streamlined approach to labor management and city layout design. Its art style and dedication to accessibility both make it reminiscent of Lion Shield’s debut title, Kingdoms and Castles, which has earned a reputation as one of the best modern city builders with no micromanagement.
While Nova Roma is the final day-one addition to Microsoft’s subscription service this month, two older titles are still due to join Xbox Game Pass before the end of March 2026. The first of those is The Long Dark on March 30, followed by Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on the 31st. The seventh mainline Resident Evil entry will arrive just as Mad Streets and Peppa Pig: World Adventures leave the service on the final day of the month.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games with Confirmed Release Dates
|
Date |
Game |
Game Pass Tier(s) |
Platform(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mar 26 |
Nova Roma |
Ultimate, PC |
PC |
Game Preview; day-one release. |
|
Mar 30 |
The Long Dark |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
Mar 31 |
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
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 23 |
Kiln |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release for spring 2026. |
|
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. |
|
Aug 4 |
Beast of Reincarnation |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day-one release. |
The Xbox Game Pass Q2 2026 roadmap begins on April 2 with Barbie Horse Trails joining three tiers of the service. Final Fantasy 4 will then arrive on April 7, the same day that the Wave 1 lineup for next month is likely to be officially announced.
- Released
-
March 26, 2026
- Developer(s)
-
Lion Shield
- Publisher(s)
-
Hooded Horse
- Number of Players
-
Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Unknown
