Xbox published its first October 2026 Game Pass wave on October 7: nine games arriving between October 8 and October 16, and nine leaving on October 15. The additions and departures overlap in the middle of the month; this announcement does not cover the entire October schedule.

The Xbox Wire post is titled "Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Battlefield 6, Valor Mortis, Forever Ago, and More" and is credited to Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead for Xbox Game Pass.

What arrives, and on which day

October 8 brings three games. Echo Weaver is a metroidvania built around a time loop, where progress comes from what the player learns rather than from permanent upgrades. Forever Ago is a single-player road trip adventure that follows a character named Alfred travelling north. Neon Abyss 2 is a roguelike action platformer set in a pixelated cyberpunk world.

Before choosing a download, read the platform and subscription labels together. PC Game Pass is the plan name; Cloud, Console, Xbox Series X|S and PC are the availability labels attached to individual entries. A plan label alone does not give every title the same platforms.

October 13 brings another three games: Battlefield 6, Deep Dish Dungeon and Valor Mortis. Battlefield 6 is the established shooter in the group. Deep Dish Dungeon is a survival exploration game with metroidvania and crafting elements, playable solo or in online co-op. Valor Mortis is a first-person action soulslike from the creators of Ghostrunner.

October 15 adds Bluey's Happy Snaps, a photo-based adventure, and Chained Beasts, a gladiator roguelike for one to four players. Beyond These Stars closes the wave on October 16 as the only PC-only addition of the nine.

Seven additions carry the day one label Xbox uses for games that reach the service on their release date: Echo Weaver, Forever Ago, Deep Dish Dungeon, Valor Mortis, Bluey's Happy Snaps, Chained Beasts and Beyond These Stars. Battlefield 6 and Neon Abyss 2 are not flagged that way, and the post gives no reason.

Plans, platforms and the handheld label

Each of the nine is listed for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Neon Abyss 2 is the only addition that also reaches Game Pass Premium. Game Pass Essential appears once in the post, on the Asphalt Legends in-game benefit.

The platform labels are not uniform. Most additions list cloud, Xbox Series X|S and PC, while Forever Ago and Bluey's Happy Snaps use the broader console label. Valor Mortis and Bluey's Happy Snaps also carry Handheld, which the footnote defines as optimized for handheld play. The post does not name individual handheld devices or give device-specific compatibility results.

Battlefield 6 comes with conditions. EA Play members can unlock the EA Play Deployment Pack, claim the Season 5 EA Play Pack and earn recurring seasonal rewards. Game Pass Ultimate includes EA Play and 10 percent off eligible EA digital purchases. Beyond the plan names attached to each entry, the post does not define the tiers or give their prices.

Concept illustration of two blank anonymous game-card shapes linked to a generic blank-screen handheld symbol.
Concept illustration of the Handheld designation on two listed additions. Xbox Wire says the label marks games optimized for handheld play; this is not a compatibility test or a specific device.

Games already in the library

Three titles appear in a section for earlier arrivals: Shape of Dreams, Minecraft Dungeons II and Gears of War: E-Day. Shape of Dreams is listed for Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass, with an update tied to the game's Starless Path anniversary. The other two are listed for Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Asphalt Legends is the only in-game benefit this time. Subscribers on Ultimate, Premium, Essential or PC Game Pass can unlock the Ford GT MKII, 250 tokens and 250,000 credits.

The nine titles leaving on October 15

Eight of the departures are listed for cloud, console and PC: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Crime Scene Cleaner, Donut County, Evil West, Pacific Drive, Superball and The Casting of Frank Stone. Nova Roma leaves as well, in Game Preview and on PC only.

Xbox asks players to save on those games before they leave and publishes no discount figures. The post also gives no reason for any individual removal, so a subscriber cannot tell from it whether licensing, a sequel or something else is behind the list.

If you are partway through a departing game, check its October 15 removal date before planning another session. The announcement does not specify a cutoff hour, so it does not promise access through the end of that day. Xbox points players to purchase savings before removal, without stating the discount amount.

What the post leaves out

No date is given for a second October wave, no further removals are listed for the rest of the month, and the post ends by pointing readers to Xbox Wire and social channels for the next batch. Three other gaps stand out: the discounts Xbox mentions without any figures, the question of whether the EA Play seasonal rewards extend to EA titles beyond Battlefield 6, and the unexplained difference between the seven day one additions and the two with no such label.