Xbox Game Pass subscribers can now look forward to another two games that are coming to the service in the very near future, with two more day one games confirmed to be making their debut in January 2026. Xbox Game Pass has had an incredible year in terms of new game additions, with multiple day one Game Pass titles nominated at The Game Awards. Despite the positive buzz Game Pass has enjoyed for most of the year because of its new additions, the service has also faced its fair share of backlash.
Some major games have left Xbox Game Pass in 2025, which has understandably upset fans, but what’s been even more upsetting is the service’s price increase. The Game Pass Ultimate price hike from $19.99 to $29.99 caused an uproar, with so many people moving to cancel their subscriptions that it literally crashed the website. Microsoft hopes to justify the Game Pass price increase by adding a higher volume of games to the platform in the next year, with the 2026 calendar starting to fill out.
The 4 Biggest Xbox Game Pass Games of 2026 Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Four huge Xbox Game Pass games are already on deck for 2026, with many more games expected to join the service next year as well.
To date, there are two games confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in January 2026, and both are day one releases. On January 20, Game Pass subscribers can look forward to playing MIO: Memories In Orbit on PC and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Then, on January 22, Nova Roma will be available for Game Pass subscribers on PC as part of the Xbox Game Preview Program since it’s going to be an early access release.
List of Xbox Game Pass Games Confirmed for January 2026
- MIO: Memories In Orbit (PC/Xbox Series X) – January 20
- Nova Roma (PC) – January 22
MIO: Memories In Orbit is a sci-fi Metroidvania with a unique art style that gives the backgrounds and characters a hand-drawn quality. One of the biggest new Game Pass games of 2025 was Hollow Knight: Silksong, so Metroidvanias have been enjoying a moment on the service. As one of 2026’s first new game releases, it will be exciting to see how MIO: Memories In Orbit stacks up compared to other Metroidvania games that have been added to Game Pass.
Nova Roma, meanwhile, is a city-builder where players are tasked with building Rome. The twist is that players must also appease the gods. If they don’t build any temples in Zeus’ honor, for example, he may grow angry and cause some problems. Nova Roma will be releasing in early access when it joins Game Pass on January 22, so fans can expect updates for the game throughout 2026.
More Xbox Game Pass Games With 2026 Release Dates
To date, MIO: Memories In Orbit and Nova Roma are the only two Game Pass games confirmed for January 2026, but more will undoubtedly be revealed in the near future. In the meantime, there are three other day one Game Pass games with specific 2026 release dates announced so far. We know that Menace will be joining the Game Pass library on February 5, while High on Life 2 will be making its debut on February 13. Finally, Replaced is coming to Game Pass on March 12, which is exciting because fans have been waiting years to play it.
The Xbox Game Pass 2026 lineup is already looking pretty stacked because, besides the previously mentioned titles, we know that Xbox is coming out swinging with heavy hitters to help celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Halo 1 remake, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day, and the long-awaited Fable reboot are all coming in 2026, so if things go as planned, it should be an absolutely monumental year for Game Pass and Xbox in general.
