Top 10 Best Games on Xbox Game Pass Right Now (May 2026)

After last month's Ultimate price drop to $22.99 and a stacked May 2026 lineup adding Forza Horizon 6 day one alongside eight other games, Xbox Game Pass is in the strongest position it's been in years. The catalog now includes 2025 GOTY contenders, brand-new AAA releases, indie classics, and even a few games most people don't realize are on the service. Here are the 10 best games you can play on Xbox Game Pass right now — counting down from a sleeper hit you've probably missed to the headliner reveal pulling subscribers in this month.

#10 — It Takes Two (wait, what?)

Yeah, you read that right. It Takes Two — Hazelight Studios' 2021 Game of the Year-winning co-op platformer — is on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate via the EA Play benefit. Most people don't realize this. EA Play is included with Ultimate (and Game Pass Standard via EA Play Trial), which means the best co-op game of the last decade is genuinely free to play if you're already subscribed. Why it's on this list at #10 instead of higher: it requires a co-op partner. There's no solo mode. If you have anyone willing to sit on the couch with you (or play online via Friend's Pass — only one of you needs to own the game), this is the most rewarding 12-15 hours you can have on the service. If you don't have a co-op partner, skip it. Tier: Ultimate only (via EA Play benefit). Not on Premium, PC Game Pass, or Essential. Hot tip: Friend's Pass means only one of you needs Game Pass. Drag a friend in for free.

#9 — Planet Coaster 2 (sim and management heaven)

For sim/management fans, Planet Coaster 2 hit Game Pass on April 9, 2026 — and it's the kind of game where five hours disappears like ten minutes. Frontier Developments built on the original 2016 game with deeper customization, fully integrated water park building, more dynamic management systems, and nine themes to mix and match. What makes it great: piece-by-piece scenery customization that lets you attach decorations directly to rides, terrain tools that actually feel modern, and a creative mode for when you want to build without managing finances. The "downloadable parks from the community" feature alone is worth several hours of just touring other players' creations. Tier: Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass. Not on Essential. Skip if: You hate sim games. This isn't an action game and won't pretend to be.

#8 — Avowed (Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity comeback)

Obsidian Entertainment's first-person fantasy RPG Avowed launched day-one on Game Pass in February 2025 and has stayed there since. Set in the Living Lands of Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity universe, it's the studio at full strength — sharp dialogue choices, multiple companion characters with real opinions about your decisions, four distinct regions to explore, and a magic system that genuinely feels different from other fantasy RPGs. Reception was solid (not generational) — but at $0 via Game Pass, it's an absolute no-brainer if you have any interest in story-driven RPGs. Roughly 30-50 hours for the main story, more if you complete every side quest. Tier: Ultimate, PC Game Pass (day-one). Available on Premium since November 2025. Pair with: The Outer Worlds 2 below — both Obsidian, both on Game Pass.

#7 — Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox legacy at its peak)

You can't have a Top 10 Xbox Game Pass list without Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Six campaigns — Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo 4, and Halo: Reach — plus all the multiplayer maps from each. It's been on Game Pass since the service launched in 2017 and has been continuously updated for the better part of a decade. Why it's still on this list in 2026: with Halo: Campaign Evolved coming to Game Pass later this year, replaying the Master Chief Collection is the perfect way to refresh on the franchise. The campaigns are 4K-enhanced, the multiplayer is still active, and Halo 3 is still one of the best campaigns ever made. Period. Tier: Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass. Not on Essential. Total time: 50+ hours just for the campaigns. Add unlimited multiplayer time on top.

#6 — Hades II (Supergiant's roguelike masterpiece)

Originally a PC Early Access hit, Hades II finally hit consoles and Xbox Game Pass on April 14, 2026 — and the Game Pass version includes every post-launch patch, quality-of-life improvement, and bonus content. This is the most complete version of the game yet. You play Melinoë, the long-lost sister of the original game's Zagreus, fighting through the Underworld to defeat the Titan of Time. The combat is the same blistering precision Supergiant nailed in Hades 1, but the upgrades are deeper, the witchcraft mechanics are entirely new, and the world is roughly twice as large. If you played Hades and loved it, Hades II improves on every system without losing what made the first one special. Tier: Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass. Time investment: 30 hours for the main credits, 60-100+ hours for full completion. Roguelikes reward replay.

#5 — The Outer Worlds 2 (the Fallout: New Vegas sequel we never got)

Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2 launched day-one on Game Pass on October 29, 2025. It's a direct sequel to the 2019 original, and it does what every great Obsidian RPG does: gives you genuinely tough moral choices, sharp writing, real consequences for your decisions, and combat that's vastly improved over the first game. The pitch: think Fallout: New Vegas, but in space, polished to a much higher level than the original Outer Worlds. The companions have actual personalities. Side quests reward you for thinking creatively rather than just shooting everything. The faction system means you can finish the game in radically different ways depending on whose side you take. Tier: Ultimate, PC Game Pass (day-one). Not on Premium or Essential. Time investment: 35-50 hours for main story, 70+ for completionists.

#4 — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (the 2025 surprise GOTY)

This one was the breakout hit nobody saw coming. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched in April 2025 from a small French studio (Sandfall Interactive), and it ended up as one of the most-discussed RPGs of 2025 — picking up GOTY nominations and selling 4+ million copies despite competition from much bigger releases. The hook: turn-based JRPG combat with active dodge/parry mechanics that turn every encounter into a rhythm-based skill check. The art direction is gorgeous (think Belle Époque France meets dark fantasy). The soundtrack is genuinely all-time. The story is heavy and emotionally affecting in a way that turn-based JRPGs rarely manage. If you've been "meaning to try this one," Game Pass means you have zero excuse. It's only on Game Pass via Ultimate and PC Game Pass — no Premium tier access for this one. Tier: Ultimate, PC Game Pass. Time investment: 30-40 hours for the main story.

#3 — Hollow Knight: Silksong (the 2025 indie reveal of the decade)

Seven years of waiting. Multiple delays. Endless memes. Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched on September 4, 2025 — day-one on Xbox Game Pass — and managed to live up to every expectation despite the impossible weight on its shoulders. You play Hornet, the spear-wielding warrior princess from the original Hollow Knight, exploring a vast haunted kingdom called Pharloom. The combat is faster and more aggressive than the original. The world is bigger. The art is even more striking. And the difficulty is still unforgiving in the best Team Cherry way — you'll die a lot, but every death teaches you something. In March 2026, Microsoft expanded Silksong's tier coverage to include Premium subscribers, meaning it's now accessible across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. Essential subscribers still don't get access. The free Sea of Sorrow DLC is also coming in 2026, which will keep this on Game Pass for the foreseeable future. Tier: Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass (since March 12, 2026). Time investment: 40-60+ hours for completionists. Less if you don't 100%.

#2 — Forza Horizon 6 (the day-one mainstream pick)

The newest entry on this list and the headline reason to be subscribed in May 2026. Forza Horizon 6 launched on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and day-one Game Pass on May 19, 2026 — set in Japan, with 550+ cars, the largest map in series history, and a Tokyo city environment 5× larger than any previous Horizon city. Quick verdict: this is the strongest Forza Horizon launch in series history, and at $69.99 retail, it alone justifies more than three months of Ultimate subscription. The Japan setting fans have been begging for since FH4 finally exists, and Playground Games delivered. For the full breakdown of what's new — the Estate building system, Touge mountain pass duels, Spec Racing online, Horizon CoLab 12-player co-op build, and the smart Game Pass Ultimate + Premium Upgrade combo that saves $60 vs. buying Premium Edition outright — check our full Forza Horizon 6 launch guide. Tier: Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Standard Edition only — Deluxe/Premium content sold separately). Time investment: 100+ hours easily. Endless replayability.

#1 — Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (the day-one heavyweight)

Released day-one on Game Pass on November 14, 2025, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the most-played game on the service right now and the headline reason most subscribers have stayed put. Treyarch's latest entry brings back the Black Ops universe with a campaign featuring multiple agents, the franchise's signature multiplayer suite, and the return of the round-based Zombies mode (Astra Malorum). For Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers, this is a $69.99 game that came included with your subscription. Important note: Black Ops 7 is the LAST Call of Duty that will be on Game Pass day-one. Microsoft has officially announced that future mainline CoD releases (starting with the next entry in late 2026) will arrive on Game Pass roughly one year after their retail launch, not on day one. So if you've been on the fence about Black Ops 7, now is the time — it's not going anywhere from Game Pass, but the day-one model that brought it here is. Tier: Ultimate, PC Game Pass (day-one). Now also on Premium since early 2026. Time investment: 6-8 hours for campaign, hundreds of hours of multiplayer + Zombies if you stick with it.

The Bottom Line — Game Pass Has Never Been Stronger

Look at the day-one releases from just the last 12 months: Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight Silksong, The Outer Worlds 2, Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Hades II, Forza Horizon 6 — that's seven major day-one releases in a single year, plus deep catalog adds like Planet Coaster 2 and continuous access to legacy classics like Halo MCC and It Takes Two. For Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers, you're getting access to genuinely the best year of releases this service has ever had. If Game Pass is worth it at $22.99/month, this lineup is the answer. Tier recommendation by player type:

• Console + PC + casual cloud gaming: Ultimate ($22.99/mo) — gets all 10 games on this list
• PC-only player: PC Game Pass ($13.99/mo) — gets 9 of 10 games (everything except It Takes Two via EA Play, which only works through Ultimate)
• Console only, casual player: Premium ($14.99/mo) — gets 5-6 of 10 games (the back-catalog picks, no day-one)
• Online multiplayer only: Essential ($9.99/mo) — gets a small rotating catalog, not these games

What's Next on Game Pass

Looking ahead, Microsoft's confirmed lineup for the rest of 2026 includes some genuinely huge releases — Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, and Beast of Reincarnation are all confirmed day-one. The pipeline is loaded. The catch on the horizon: starting with the next mainline Call of Duty in late 2026, day-one CoD on Game Pass is over. New CoD games will arrive on the service approximately one year after their retail launch. If Call of Duty is your primary reason to subscribe, that's a real consideration moving forward. For everything else though — RPGs, open-world games, indies, sim/management — Game Pass is firing on all cylinders right now. Get a discounted Ultimate code, stack a few months, and work through this Top 10. Got questions about which tier to pick? Hit our live chat and we'll help you sort it out.