We’re heading into Xbox’s 25th anniversary week! Xbox will officially celebrate this milestone on Sunday, November 15 (exactly seven days after this article was published), and we’re hoping for a few surprises along the way.
We already know a surprise: eight games will join Xbox Game Pass Essential on the 15th. Combine that with the other six during the rest of the week, and we have over 10 new additions to Game Pass during the 25th anniversary period.
In case you missed them, these eight Game Pass Essential games from the 15th are as follows:
| Date | Game | Platform | Floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 15, 2026 | Banjo Kazooie | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Banjo Tooie | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Gears of War: Judgment | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Halo: Spartan Assault | Console, PC, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Perfect dark | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Viva Piñata | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
| November 15, 2026 | Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise | Console, Cloud | New to XGP Essential |
As for the rest, we have three games coming on the 10th, two coming on the 11th, and one coming on the 12th. There’s every chance Microsoft could add to it as they go, but these are the ones that have been confirmed so far.
A highlight for many will be John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando on November 12, which is a brilliant take on the classic Left 4 Dead formula, while all the others are ‘day one’ launches, including the highly addictive Football Manager 27, the Vampire Survivors-like Warhammer Survivors and the BMX postman game Tanuki: Pon’s Summer.
Instead of just throwing them into a table, we’ll leave them below with trailers and descriptions, and we’ll be sure to remind you of the relevant dates when they become available with your Game Pass subscription.
Choose the club. Form the team. Define the tactic. Pursue the future that only you can see. FM27 is where your footballing beliefs come true. Make the call.
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer (November 10) – Series X|S, PC, Cloud (Ultimate, PC)
The Tanuki festival is only a month away and the shrine is in disrepair. Follow Pon, a well-meaning, if somewhat lazy, Tanuki who works part-time at the post office, as he works to restore the shrine before the end of summer. Deliver packages, make friends and prepare the sanctuary for the big festival!
Warhammer Survivors (November 10) – Series X|S, PC, Cloud (Ultimate, PC)
Warhammer Survivors is the official grim and dark bullet game from the developers of Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun. Play as over 40 iconic champions from the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar universes and destroy those who stand for death and destruction.
Hope in the City (November 11) – Series X|S, PC, Cloud (Ultimate, PC)
Seventeen-year-old Hope Song thought the national exams were her biggest worry… until she came home to a trashed apartment where both her parents were missing. Investigate through the eyes of an artist, turn sketches into evidence, and watch her family’s mystery grow stranger and darker with every answer.
Thronefall (November 11) – Series X|S, PC, Cloud (Ultimate, PC)
Thronefall is a minimalist strategy game where you build a humble kingdom by day and defend it by night. Balance economy and defense by fortifying walls, recruiting troops, and charging into battle yourself to protect your fortress from relentless waves of attackers.
Choose a character and team up with three friends because it’s time to save the world. Experience intense FPS action as you defeat hordes of terrifying monsters! You may not be part of the best mercenary team, but you are… a Toxic Commando!
Gn tech
