Xbox Game Pass subscribers are treated to several games every month, December included, with games like Death Howl, Mortal Kombat 1, Routine, Monster Train 2, and Indiana Jones and The Great Circle gracing its various tiers. Of course, they also know a couple of games leave Xbox Game Pass every month, with two slated to leave at the end of the year: December 31.
Typically, there are two waves of game departures: one midway through a given month, one at the end. Xbox Game Pass removed Mortal Kombat 11, Still Wakes the Deep, and Wildfrost across Cloud, Console, and PC devices on December 15; the next wave on December 31 will include beloved horror game Carrion and hardcore, realistic first-person shooter game Hell Let Loose.
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In most horror games, players must survive against a multitude of threats like zombies or a singular, terrifying creature like Mr. X. Carrion is the reverse of that; players take control of an amorphous, tentacle monster within a research facility. Players must crawl through vents, kill scientists and soldiers, and otherwise acquire upgrades necessary to escape the city and fulfill its devious intentions. On the other end, Hell Let Loose is a multiplayer game focused on iconic battles of the Western, North African, and Eastern fronts of World War 2, focused on the platoon level, with communication being necessary to success.
A Hell Let Loose sequel is currently scheduled for release in 2026. Dubbed Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, it focuses on the titular war between the North Vietnamese and Americans between 1965 and 1973.
Xbox Game Pass Games Leaving on December 31
- Carrion (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Hell Let Loose (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Of course, there’s still time to enjoy both titles before they leave Xbox Game Pass. According to HowLongToBeat.com, Carrion‘s playtime is roughly 4.5 hours, while there’s plenty of time to enjoy some matches in Hell Let Loose. Most run anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, thanks to its focus on realism, and that lets players check it out for themselves. If players decide either is worth keeping, XGP will also grant them a discount.
Meanwhile, there’s a new slate of games to look forward to coming in January 2026. Mio: Memories in Orbit and Nova Roma are currently the only Xbox Game Pass games announced for January 2026, but fans can expect the announcement for the first wave in the coming weeks. Mio: Memories in Orbit is a metroidvania game where players must explore a futuristic ark filled with violent machines, while Nova Roma is a city-builder where players build their own Roman city while contending with mythological Roman gods. As far as appetizers go, both games belong to beloved, if somewhat niche, genres.
Xbox Game Pass Games Coming in January
- Mio: Memories in Orbit
- Nova Roma
It remains to be seen how Xbox Game Pass shapes up in the new year, but that’s only one part of the equation. An Xbox Developer Direct is currently set for January 2026, focused on Xbox Game Studios titles releasing throughout 2026. Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty went as far as to say, “We’ve got more stuff coming up than we can fit into one Dev Direct show” this year. What those games are is also up in the air, but one company has been confirmed: Forza, Fable developer Playground Games. Hopefully, fans get a look at the beloved fantasy series set to release next year, despite rumors that the new Fable game would be delayed into 2027. Here’s hoping January 2026 kicks off a strong year for Xbox.
Source: Xbox
