Polygon's Top Xbox Game Pass Games for 2026
Polygon lists the best games on Xbox Game Pass, highlighting recent additions like Forza Horizon 6 and Luna Abyss, and explains how the service's value is
Xbox Game Pass remains a huge catalog of great games, according to Polygon, though its value is a harder question after a 2025 price increase, a confusing restructure, and subsequent feature losses. The publication's latest list, updated on September 9, aims to help handle the service's offerings on PC and Xbox.
After a huge 2025 that added titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong, 2026 has been quieter. The service has seen major back-catalog additions including Cyberpunk 2077 and a large batch of Ubisoft games, plus a few notable day-one releases. The list is compiled by Polygon staff who personally recommend each title, considering quality, breadth, and variety.
Forza Horizon 6 and Luna Abyss
Forza Horizon 6 tops the list, available on Game Pass Ultimate for PC and Xbox Series X. Playground Games' latest entry is set in Japan, which Polygon calls the series' most beautiful and soul-stirring map yet. The racing action is described as endlessly rewarding and engrossing, with progression tuned to be less overwhelming than its predecessor. "Forza Horizon will be dethroned one day, but that day is yet to come," writes Oli Welsh.
In second place is Luna Abyss, a sci-fi shooter from the now-closed Kwalee Labs. Available on Game Pass Ultimate, it melds Doom-style firefights with Metroid Prime's lock-on combat and platforming, adding bullet-hell boss fights. Polygon calls it stylish, confident, and gonzo action, labeling it a perfect Game Pass game.
Notable New Additions
The September update added several games. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered is a turn-based RPG from 2011, a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli. It is available on Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. Denshattack! is an indie mash-up of train simulator and extreme sports with a Jet Set Radio aesthetic. It's a fast score-attack game set in a surreal post-apocalyptic Japan.
Blood Dungeon is a lo-fi dungeon crawler from Messhof that mashes Vampire Survivor's auto-shooter style with 2D platforming. Polygon describes it as having a brutal, scuzzy simplicity and a gleefully immature sensibility, calling it dumb but totally hypnotic.
Major Hits and Hidden Gems
Hades 2, Supergiant's sequel, is now on Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. Officially the best new game of 2025 according to Metacritic, it features Melinoë's quest to kill Chronos. The structure remains focused on increasing tactical options and advancing the storyline through repeated runs. Polygon argues it embellishes a little too much on the nearly perfect original but is still a fabulous action game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is labeled a masterpiece of medieval realism. It immerses players as Henry of Skalitz, with deep storytelling, a rich dialogue system, and brutally unforgiving combat. The publication hopes it finds a new audience on Game Pass, stating it will repay your investment tenfold.
Minishoot' Adventures combines a twin-stick shoot-'em-up with an old-school 2D Zelda game. Available on Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, it features RPG-lite progression and bullet-hell boss fights. Polygon calls it a brilliant idea executed to perfection.
1000xResist from Sunset Visitor is highlighted as a pure narrative experience. Polygon suggests it might be the best, most gripping, and most artfully composed game-as-story on the service, describing it as a deep, nuanced sci-fi story about memory, trauma, and rebellion.
