Xbox Game Pass May 2026: New Lower Price, 9 New Games, and Everything Leaving — Complete Guide

Xbox Game Pass had one of its roughest twelve months in 2025. Prices shot up, subscribers left, and the service felt like it was heading in the wrong direction. In April 2026, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reversed course — cutting prices across every major tier and removing the controversial Call of Duty day-one obligation that had caused much of the problem.

The result: May 2026 is shaping up to be one of the best months Game Pass has had in years. Nine new games confirmed, eight of them day-one releases, headlined by Forza Horizon 6 — the biggest Xbox first-party launch of the year. Here is every confirmed detail you need, including exact Canadian, US, UK, and Australian pricing for every tier.

⚡ Xbox Game Pass May 2026 — Quick Summary

New Xbox Game Pass Prices — Every Region, Every Tier

The price changes took effect April 21, 2026, for new subscribers. Existing subscribers see the new rate at their next billing cycle.

↓ = reduced from previous price. Essential and Premium tiers were not changed. Check xbox.com/en-CA for your exact regional pricing as rates may vary.

What Each Tier Gets You

The Call of Duty Change — What It Actually Means

This is the trade-off that came with the price reduction, and it is worth understanding clearly before you subscribe or upgrade.

Old arrangement: New Call of Duty games launched day-one on Game Pass Ultimate. Black Ops 6 (2024) and Black Ops 7 (2025) both arrived on Game Pass the same day they launched.

New arrangement: New Call of Duty titles will no longer be on Game Pass day one. Instead, they will join the service "the following holiday season" — roughly one year after their original release.

What stays the same: All existing Call of Duty titles already in the Game Pass library — including Black Ops 6, Black Ops 7, Warzone, and classic titles — remain available and are not going anywhere.

The reason for this change is clear from the numbers: Call of Duty's wider availability reportedly dealt a huge blow to the profitability of Black Ops 6 in 2024 and Black Ops 7 in 2025. Microsoft was essentially paying for Call of Duty's development costs while watch­ing it underperform commercially because players were accessing it through a $19.99 subscription instead of buying it at $70. Removing day-one CoD access makes the game commercially viable again while allowing a meaningful price cut across all other tiers.

For players who primarily subscribed for Call of Duty: the maths now works in favour of buying Call of Duty separately and dropping to a cheaper tier.

All 9 Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass in May 2026

Eight of the nine confirmed May additions are brand-new, day-one releases — an unusually strong ratio. Here is every confirmed title with its exact date and tier availability.

Additional Wave 1 games for May 2026 are expected to be announced around May 5. This table will be updated as Microsoft confirms more titles.

Forza Horizon 6 — Everything You Need to Know

Forza Horizon 6 is the headline release of May 2026 and arguably the biggest Xbox first-party launch of the entire year. Here is every confirmed detail.

Key Facts — Forza Horizon 6

• Setting: Japan — Forza Horizon's most requested location for years. The map covers both rural and urban environments including Tokyo City, suburban areas, coastal roads, docks, and industrial districts.
• Cars: Over 550 real-world cars confirmed, including JDM classics (Japanese Domestic Market fan-favourites)
• Map size: Described by Playground Games as "Horizon's most dense map yet" — more activities and points of interest per square kilometre than previous entries
• Multiplayer: Time Attack Circuits, Drag Meets, Car Meets, and a new co-op LINK skills system
• Creation tools: CoLab — the upgraded EventLab — now supports multiplayer co-creation
• Day-one preload: Available now on Xbox and PC. Install size is described as one of the largest for any Game Pass title to date

Forza Horizon 6 Editions and Pricing

If you want to play Forza Horizon 6 on May 15 instead of May 19, you need to purchase the Premium Edition ($119.99) or Premium Upgrade ($59.99) separately — the 4-day early access is not included with Game Pass. The standard Game Pass version unlocks May 19 for all Ultimate and PC subscribers at no extra cost.

Is Forza Horizon 6 Coming to PS5?

Yes — Forza Horizon 6 is a timed Xbox/PC exclusive. The PlayStation 5 version will follow later in the year, though Microsoft has not confirmed a specific PS5 release date. For PS5 players who do not want to wait, Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Cloud Gaming — you can stream Forza Horizon 6 on any device with a browser, including a PS5's browser, from May 19.

Subnautica 2 — What We Know So Far

Subnautica 2 enters Game Pass in May 2026 as an Early Access release — meaning the game is playable but not fully finished. Here is what this means in practice:

• The core gameplay loop is complete and stable enough for release
• Content, story, and features will be added through updates over the coming months
• This is the same model Subnautica 1 used successfully — the original launched in early access and was considered one of the better examples of the format
• An exact May date has not been confirmed — watch Xbox Wire for the announcement
• Available on Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one of early access

Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass in May 2026

Five games are confirmed to leave Game Pass on May 15, 2026. If any of these are on your backlog, you have until May 14 to finish or at least start them.

More departures may be announced around May 5 when Microsoft reveals the Wave 1 lineup update. Check back here or monitor the Game Pass app's "Leaving Soon" section directly.

Which Xbox Game Pass Tier Should You Choose in May 2026?

With the new pricing, the decision is simpler than it was in 2025. Here is my honest breakdown for each type of subscriber:

Choose Ultimate ($22.99 US / C$25.99) if:

• You want day-one access to Forza Horizon 6, Subnautica 2, and future first-party releases
• You game on both Xbox console and PC
• You use Xbox Cloud Gaming (streaming on phone, tablet, or browser)
• You want EA Play included (FIFA, Madden, Mass Effect, Dragon Age catalogue)
• You want online multiplayer for console gaming

Choose PC Game Pass ($13.99 US / C$16.99) if:

• You only game on PC and do not own an Xbox console
• You want day-one first-party releases at the lowest price point
• You do not need EA Play or Cloud Gaming

Choose Premium (C$17.99 in Canada) if:

• You mostly play older games and catalogue titles, not new releases
• You are happy to wait up to a year for new first-party games
• You want 200+ games at a lower price than Ultimate

Choose Essential ($14.99 US / C$13.99) if:

• You mainly need online multiplayer access and a small game library
• You prefer to buy most games individually and just want the multiplayer subscription

Skip Game Pass entirely if:

• You only want to play one or two specific games — buying them outright is cheaper than maintaining a subscription
• The games you want most are not on Game Pass (check the catalogue before subscribing)

The honest value calculation for May 2026 is straightforward: Forza Horizon 6 alone costs $69.99 to buy outright. One month of Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 gets you Forza Horizon 6 plus access to 400+ other games. If you play Forza Horizon 6 for even a few weeks and enjoy anything else in the library, the subscription wins the value comparison decisively this month.

How to Preload Forza Horizon 6 Right Now

Forza Horizon 6 preloads are already live for both Xbox console and PC. The install size is extremely large — one of the biggest in Game Pass history. Starting your download now means the game is ready the moment it unlocks on May 19.

On Xbox Console:

1. Open the Xbox Store on your console
2. Search for Forza Horizon 6
3. With an active Game Pass Ultimate subscription, select Pre-install
4. The game downloads in the background and unlocks automatically on May 19

On PC (Xbox App):

1. Open the Xbox app on Windows
2. Search Forza Horizon 6
3. Click Install — with an active PC Game Pass or Ultimate subscription, this begins the preload
4. Game unlocks automatically on May 19

Note: Only Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can preload. Premium tier subscribers cannot preload Forza Horizon 6 as it will not be available to them until later in 2026.

What Is Coming to Xbox Game Pass Later in 2026?

Beyond May, these are the confirmed headline additions for the rest of 2026:

• Fable — Playground Games' reboot of the beloved RPG series. Confirmed day-one on Game Pass. One of the most anticipated Xbox titles in years.
• Gears of War: E-Day — the biggest first-party story moment for Xbox this year. Confirmed day-one on Game Pass.
• Halo: Campaign Evolved — confirmed for Game Pass in 2026.
• Mixtape — already arriving May 7 (see table above)

With Forza Horizon 6, Fable, and Gears of War: E-Day all landing as day-one Game Pass titles, 2026 is the strongest year for Xbox first-party day-one Game Pass releases since the service launched.

People Also Ask — Xbox Game Pass 2026

What is the price of Xbox Game Pass in Canada in 2026?

As of April 21, 2026, Canadian Xbox Game Pass prices are: Essential C$13.99/month, Premium C$17.99/month, PC Game Pass C$16.99/month, and Ultimate C$25.99/month. Ultimate dropped from C$33.99, saving Canadian subscribers C$8 per month or C$96 per year. Check xbox.com/en-CA for the most current pricing as rates can change.

Is Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes. Forza Horizon 6 launches day-one on May 19, 2026, and is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at no extra cost. The Standard Edition of the game is what Game Pass subscribers receive. The Premium Edition's 4-day early access (May 15) is not included with Game Pass — that requires purchasing the Premium Edition ($119.99) or Premium Upgrade ($59.99) separately.

Is Call of Duty still on Xbox Game Pass?

Existing Call of Duty titles in the Game Pass library — including Black Ops 6, Black Ops 7, Warzone, and classic titles — remain available and are not being removed. What changed in April 2026 is that new Call of Duty games will no longer arrive on Game Pass on launch day. Future Call of Duty titles will join the service approximately one year after their original release, during the following holiday season.

What games are leaving Xbox Game Pass in May 2026?

Five games are leaving Game Pass on May 15, 2026: Planet of Lana, Galacticare, Go Mecha Ball, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, and PAW Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship. Additional departures may be announced around May 5 as part of Microsoft's monthly Wave 1 update.

Is Subnautica 2 on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes. Subnautica 2 is confirmed to arrive on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass in May 2026 as an Early Access release. The exact May date has not been confirmed — Microsoft is expected to announce it as part of the Wave 1 update around May 5. Early Access means the game is playable with more content being added over time.

Why did Xbox lower Game Pass prices?

New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma acknowledged that Game Pass Ultimate had become too expensive for too many players following a 50% price increase in October 2025. The price reduction on April 21, 2026, brought Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 in the US — though this came with the removal of day-one Call of Duty access, as that feature was identified as both the primary driver of the price increase and a factor in declining Call of Duty game sales.

Is Xbox Game Pass worth it in May 2026?

For most active gamers, yes. Forza Horizon 6 alone retails at $69.99. One month of Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 gets you day-one access to Forza Horizon 6, Subnautica 2, and seven other new games, plus 400+ titles in the existing library. If you play more than one game per month, the subscription delivers clear value. If you only want to play one specific game that is on Game Pass, subscribing for one month and then cancelling is a legitimate and cost-effective approach.

Can I play Forza Horizon 6 on PS5 with Game Pass?

Xbox Cloud Gaming (included with Game Pass Ultimate) allows you to stream Forza Horizon 6 to a PS5's web browser, a phone, tablet, or PC — but you cannot download or install it on PS5 natively. A native PS5 version of Forza Horizon 6 is planned for later in 2026, though Microsoft has not confirmed its exact release date.

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