The Xbox Game Pass Premium library has added two more titles with “Very Positive” user reviews, including Microsoft’s very own South of Midnight. The new arrivals mark the ninth and tenth games to reach the middle tier of the subscription service in March 2026, bringing the total number of this year’s Xbox Game Pass Premium additions to 36.
Over the course of 2025, the Premium tier of the service—which Microsoft was still calling Xbox Game Pass Standard until October 1—received 165 titles. The company has largely maintained that pace this year, with its Premium content catalog adding 16 titles in January, followed by another 10 in February.
Xbox Game Pass Officially Confirms 8 New Games for March and April 2026
Microsoft formally reveals the Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 lineup for March 2026, which stretches deep into April and includes some widely beloved titles.
South of Midnight and The Alters Join Xbox Game Pass Premium
The newest games to join the Premium-tier library are South of Midnight and The Alters, both of which arrived earlier today, March 18. South of Midnight is an award-winning action adventure developed by Microsoft’s Canadian subsidiary Compulsion Games, which previously worked on We Happy Few and Contrast. Set in a world shaped by Southern Gothic folklore, the game follows Hazel as she hunts dangerous creatures drawn from mythology in the U.S. South. South of Midnight has a “Strong” rating on OpenCritic, a label based on its average score of 77 and a 68% recommendation rate. Its user rating on the platform sits at 80, which is broadly consistent with its “Very Positive” player reviews on Steam and 4.4-star rating on the Xbox Store.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
The Alters is the latest project authored by This War of Mine and Frostpunk developer 11 Bit Studios. A survival game at heart, it has the player assume the role of a stranded space miner forced to create alternate versions of himself in order to survive on a hostile planet. By doing so, protagonist Jan Dolski can effectively assemble a wide range of specialists, though he must also manage them closely because his alternate selves whom the game is named after do not always get along. The unusual premise of The Alters was well received by reviewers, reflected in the game’s average score of 86 and 95% recommendation rate on OpenCritic.
The sci-fi title also has a 4.4-star player rating on the Xbox Store and “Very Positive” user reviews on Steam. The Alters originally joined Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as a day-one title in June 2025. With 12 months being a fairly typical length for third-party Xbox Game Pass stints, there is a chance the title will not remain in the Premium-tier catalog for long and could leave as early as June 2026.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Premium Titles with Confirmed Release Dates
|
Date |
Game |
Platform(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mar 18 |
South of Midnight |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
Available on PC GP and XGP Ultimate since Apr 2025. |
|
Mar 18 |
The Alters |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Available on PC GP and XGP Ultimate since Jun 2025. |
|
Mar 19 |
Disco Elysium |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
|
|
Mar 24 |
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
|
|
Mar 25 |
Absolum |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
|
|
Mar 30 |
The Long Dark |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
Mar 31 |
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
Apr 2 |
Barbie Horse Trails |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
|
|
Apr 2 |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Available on PC GP and XGP Ultimate since Apr 2025. |
|
Apr 7 |
Final Fantasy 4 |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
The next two titles set to join the Xbox Game Pass Premium catalog are Disco Elysium and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, due to arrive on March 19 and March 24, respectively. Absolum will follow on March 25, with The Long Dark and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard arriving over the final two days of the month.
- Released
-
April 8, 2025
- ESRB
-
rp
- Developer(s)
-
Compulsion Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 5
